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Charles  Josselyn. 


YOU 

AND  YOUR  DOCTOR 


Y  O  U 


AND 


YOUR  DOCTOR 


HOW  TO   PROLONG   LIFE 

A  PRACTICAL  BOOK  ON  HEALTH 
AND  THE  CARE  OF  IT 

iA  Fearless  Expose  of  all  Quacks  ami  Frauds   Within 
and  IV i thou t  the  O^iedical  Profession 


BY 

WILLIAM    B.    DOHERTY,    M.  D. 

MEM»:!<  KSNTUCKV  STATS  MCDSCAL  SOOICTY 


ILLUSTRATED 


CHICAGO 

Laird  &  Lee,  Publishers 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress  in  the  year  nineteen 

hundred,  by 

WILLIAM    H.    LEE, 

In  the  Office  of  the  Librarian  of  Congress  at  Washington. 


CONTENTS 


PAGE 

INTRODUCTORY 7 

CHAPTER  I.  Life 10 

II.  Physicians  and  Quacks 26 

III.  Physicians  and  Faddists 68 

IV.  The  True  Physician 94 

V.  Some  Anatomy 107 

VI.  Don'ts X15 

VII.  The  Baby— The  Child 122 

VIII.  Air 151 

IX.  Food 168 

X.  Drink 182 

XI.  Work  and  Worry 192 

XII.  Bathing.— The  Sick  Room 209 

XIII.  Accidents  and  Emergencies 215 

XIV.  Hemorrhage ^ 221 

XV.  Sleep 224 

XVI.  Summary  and  Conclusion . . . , 244 


J0t  iJxt  ixuilx  mvtfi  mt  lit^t 


YOU  AND  YOUR  DOCTOR 


INTRODUCTORY 

The  cry  of  suffering  humanity  is  certainly  this: 
N  Tell  me,  tell  me,  all  you  can! 

Help  me,  help  me,  all  you  can! 

This  treatise,  dear  reader,  does  not  propose  to 
follow  in  the  wake  of  pamphlets  and  almanacs  scat- 
tered broad-cast  throughout  the  land,  nor  to  fall  m 
line  with  those  who  make  the  unwarranted,  boast- 
ful promise  of  "curing,"  upon  short  notice,  every  ill 
that  flesh  is  heir  to. 

Its  aim  and  merit  consist  rather  in  giving  valu- 
able and  reliable  information,  counsel  and  direction 
for  avoiding  quacks  and  the  prevalent  habit  of  self- 
medication;  in  helping  to  prepare  the  way  and  the 
means  of  forming  healthier,  hardier  generations; 
and    in  raising  the  voice   of   warning   against  the 

(T) 


G15TS7 


8  INTRODUCTORY 

money-making  schemers,  who  are  to  be  found,  un- 
fortunately within,  as  well  as  without,  the  medical 
profession.  It  accentuates  the  importance  of  the 
services  of  a  competent  physician.  As  we  consult 
the  lawyer  in  our  secular  troubles  and  business  en- 
tanglements, so  should  we  seek  the  physician  in  our 
bodily  ailments.  No  one  else  can  safely  take  his 
place.  It  is  the  life-long  study  of  the  worthy  physi- 
cian to  investigate  the  cause,  to  prevent,  and  to 
treat,  sickness  in  all  its  multifarious  phases,  in  order 
not  only  to  alleviate,  but  also  to  eradicate,  if  possi- 
ble, the  causes  of  disease.  Invaluable,  therefore, 
are  the  services  of  the  true  physician.  His  calling 
is  of  the  highest  order  in  the  sphere  of  mortal  activ- 
ity, because  it  has  for  its  object  the  preservation  of 
hfe,  which  we  value,  or  ought  to  value,  more  than 
all  else  in  the  world.  The  physician  can  undoubtedly 
prolong  life,  but  may  not  prevent  death;  the  pilot 
can  steer  the  ship,  but  he  cannot  quell  the  storm; 
the  agriculturist  may  sow  the  seed,  but  may  not 
reap  the  harvest.  Now  here  is  the  trouble;  here  is 
the  danger.  The  physician  is  generally  not  called 
upon  as  soon  as  needed;  or  when  called  upon,  he 
cannot  arrive  in  time  to  administer  the  aid  required. 


INTRODUCTORY  0 

The  following  pages  are  therefore  intended  to 
supply,  for  every  emergency,  plain  and  useful  in- 
formation, direction  and  advice,  concerning  what 
can  and  should  be  done  until  the  physician  reaches 
the  patient.  They  give  the  needful  instructions  to 
thwart  the  insidious  approaches  of  disease,  and  to 
preserve  the  blessing  of  health  to  a  ripe  old  age. 
Finally,  they  contain  ready  suggestions  for  all  acci- 
dents with  regard  to  health  and  life. 

That  all  these  desirable  purposes  may  be  realized 
for  the  benefit  of  every  reader  of  this  book,  is  the 
ardent  wish  and  sanguine  hope  of  the  author. 

Confidently  he  offers  to  all,  not  the  uncertainty 
of  theories,  but  a  fund  of  facts,  gathered  through 
many  years  of  careful  study  and  observation  in 
medical  practice.  He  may  say,  in  all  sincerity,  with 
Montaigne,  "I  have  here  only  made  a  nosegay  of 
culled  flowers,  and  have  brought  nothing  of  my 
own  but  the  string  that  ties  them."  The  author's 
motto  is: 

In  life,  do  all  the  good  we  can, 
Especially  to  fellowman. 


CHAPTER  I 

I. 

What  is  life?  Vitality,  in  the  physical  sense  of 
the  word;  resistance  to  death,  a  definition  which 
may  be  censured  as  an  attempt  to  describe  the  un- 
known by  the  unknown.  A  cloud  of  impenetrable 
darkness  hangs  over  the  development,  and  still 
more  over  the  origin  of  life.  The  scientist  of  to- 
day, despite  the  brilliant  advances  made  in  chem- 
istry, biology  and  astronomy,  is  no  nearer  the  so- 
lution of  the  problem  of  the  origin  of  life,  organic 
or  inorganic,  than  he  was  before  the  new  paths  were 
opened.  In  the  language  of  Salisbury,  *'We  live 
in  a  small  oasis  of  knowledge,  surrounded  on  all 
sides  by  a  vast,  unexplored  region  of  impenetrable 
mystery.  From  age  to  age  the  strenuous  labor  of 
successive  generations  wins  a  small  strip  from  the 

(10) 


LIFE  U 

desert,  and  pushes  forward  the  boundary  of  knowl- 
edge." 

We  are  still : 

"An  infant  crying  in  the  night, 
An  infant  crying  for  the  light, 
And  with  no  language  but  a  cry." 

The  easiest  and  most  rational  approach  to  an  un- 
derstanding of  the  mysteries,  both  within  and  with- 
out us,  is  the  candid  admission  of,  and  belief  in,  a 
supernal  Creator  and  Ruler.  A  higher  and  better 
reason  for  all  that  exists  cannot  be  found.  True, 
there  are  some,  highly  learned,  who  assert  that  life 
is  nothing  but  force.  But  is  it  not  certain  that  all 
the  combined  efforts  of  scientists  cannot  produce 
this  force,  called  life?  That  they  have  not  and  can- 
not manufacture  or  substitute  the  principle  of  life? 
All  the  resources  of  the  laboratory  fail  to  make  an 
animate  product.  We  cannot  make  mother's  milk, 
though  every  ingredient  it  contains  can  be  accur- 
ately determined.  We  cannot  make  the  pro- 
toplasm, or  rather  bioplasm.  Out  of  dead  matter 
we  cannot  make  living  matter.  Ah!  here  is  the  rub. 
We  are  dust,  as  the  Divine  Voice  has  described  us, 
but  moving,  thinking,  propagating  dust;  and  our 


12  LIFE 

death  is  but  the  consequence  of  what  we  call  life. 
Death  has  been  styled  the  crown  of  life. 

"Were  death  denied,  poor  man  would  live  in 
vain; 

Were  death  denied,  to  live  would  not  be  Hfe; 

Were  death  denied,  e'en  fools  would  wish  to  die." 

II. 

Life  represents  the  survival  of  the  fittest.  The 
physical  strength,  force  or  weakness  of  parents, 
seems  transmitted  to  their  offspring.  Tennyson 
says:  "Woman's  cause  is  man's;  they  rise  or  sink 
together.  Dwarfed  or  godlike,  bond  or  free,  if  she 
be  small,  slight-natured,  miserable,  how  shall  men 
grow?" 

We  seem,  indeed,  to  a  great  extent,  the  creatures 
of  heredity,  environment  and  habits. 

Addison  has  written  a  beautiful  allegory,  in 
which  he  compares  human  life  to  a  bridge  standing 
in  the  midst  of  a  tide,  consisting  of  three  score  and 
ten  arches,  with  several  broken  arches,  making  a 
total  of  about  one  hundred.  "This  bridge,"  Addi- 
son goes  on  to  say,  "consisted  at  first  of  one  thou- 
sand arches,  but  a  great  flood  swept  away  nine- 


LIFE  13 

tenths  of  the  arches,  and  left  it  in  this  ruinous  con- 
dition. I  see  multitudes  of  people  passing  over  it, 
and  a  black  cloud  hanging  on  each  end  of  it.  As  I 
looked  more  attentively,  I  saw  several  of  the  pas- 
sengers drop  through  the  bridge  into  the  great  tide 
that  flowed  beneath  it.  Upon  further  observation, 
I  perceived  that  there  were  innumerable  trap-doors 
concealed  in  the  bridge,  which  the  passengers  no 
sooner  trod  on,  than  they  fell  through  into  the  tide 
and  immediately  disappeared.  These  hidden  pit- 
falls were  set  very  thick  near  the  entrance  of  the 
bridge,  so  that  throngs  of  people  no  sooner  broke 
through  the  cloud,  but  many  disappeared  into  the 
depth  below.  They  grew  thinner  towards  the 
middle,  but  multiplied  and  lay  closer  together  to- 
wards the  end  of  the  arches  that  were  entire."  How 
beautifully  and  correctly  are  the  comparative  dan- 
gers to  life  in  infancy,  manhood  and  old  age  here 
represented! 

III. 

One  day  I  had  the  following  conversation  with  a 
friend,  who  leaned  strongly  to  the  so-called  agnostic 
or  materialistic  view  of  things.     "Doctor/'  he  said 


U  LIFE 

to  me,  "what  do  you  call  the  best  part  of  us?"  I 
answered  him  that  I  called  it — Life. 

"But,"  he  responded,  "you  use  a  word  that  does 
not  explain  itself  like  the  term — vital  force." 

"True,"  I  said,  "but  by  'life'  I  mean  more  than  is 
expressed  by  the  term — ^vital  force.  In  the  opinion 
of  the  agnostic  or  materialist,  vital  force  means  that 
force  only  which  sustains  vitality  in  the  system,  and 
is  no  more  than  a  quality  of  the  body,  however  es- 
sential to  it.  Life,  in  my  view,  and  in  the  view  of  the 
vast  majority,  is  far  more.  It  is  indeed  a  force, 
active,  intelligent;  it  is  a  vital  force,  that  is,  a  living 
force ;  for  the  word  vital  means  living,  derived  from 
the  Latin  word  Vitalis.'  By  life,  therefore,  is 
meant  far  more  than  a  mere  form  or  quality  of  the 
body,  because  superior  to  it  as  being  the  principle 
which  animates  and  determines  the  action  of  the 

body." 

"But,"  retorted  my  friend,  "does  not  the  brain 
move  when  we  think  or  reason?"  I  made  an- 
swer that  there  is  no  proof  that  it  does;  to  say  so 
was  a  gratuitous  assertion  of  certain  individuals, 
who,  like  the  materialists,  wished  to  relegate  all  our 


LIFE  15 

powers  to  our  material  nature.  But  all  such  have 
the  proofs  of  philosophers  and  the  verdict  of  man- 
kind in  general  against  them.  I  told  him  that  with 
the  majority  of  mankind,  I  held  that  life  in  man 
means  his  mind,  his  intelligence,  joined  to  an  or- 
ganism, called  his  body.  Hence,  this  is  indeed  the 
best  part  of  us.  But,  my  friend,  we  are  here  not 
concerned  in  the  term,  but  in  the  fact.  In  your  and 
my  estimation,  our  vital  activity,  our  life,  is  that  su- 
perior part  of  our  existence,  upon  which  depend  all 
our  relations  with  the  world  and  our  fellow-beings. 
That  man  is  not  man  when  dead,  is  a  true  saying. 
Anyone  can  extinguish  the  vital  spark,  but  neither 
the  physician,  nor  any  natural  agent,  can  give  or 
restore  it.  The  physician's  endeavor  is  to  preserve 
it  to  its  possessor  as  long  as  possible.  Say  what 
you  will,  life  is  a  mystery,  whatever  anyone  may  un- 
derstand by  the  word.  Between  the  animate  and 
the  inanimate  there  is  such  a  distinction  and  differ- 
ence as  cannot  be  measured  by  any  figures  of 
geometry.  But,  an  opponent  may  say:  what  has  not 
been  done  in  the  past,  may  be  done  in  the  future; 
if  we  are  not  a  Darwinian  race,  we  are  certainly  a 
progressive  race.   Conceded;  so  far  as  all  the  powers 


16  LIFE 

and  capabilities  of  man  can  go;  but  we  are  limited 
in  our  powers,  because  we  are  limited  in  our  facul- 
ties, limited  in  our  whole  being.  The  day  will  never 
come  when  man  shall  be  able  to  say,  I  can  do  all 
things,  and  nothing  is  hard  or  impossible  to  me. 
Never  will  man  be  able  to  put  a  single  star  in  the 
firmament,  or  resuscitate  even  one  dead  fly.  Man 
cannot  go  beyond  the  laws  and  forces  of  nature. 
Matter,  as  such,  does  not  include  life,  for  then  all 
matter  would  have  it.  Life  is  consequently  an  ad- 
dition to  matter.  It  is,  therefore,  safe  to  infer  that 
man  can  never  give  life,  which  is  far  above  and  be- 
yond matter,  as  such.  Hence,  this  treatise  must 
maintain  that  life  is  far  above  and  far  more  than 
the  mere  substance  of  which  our  body  is  composed. 
The  dignity  and  importance  of  its  subject  is  there- 
fore commensurate  with  the  dignity  and  importance 
of  life  itself.  But  its  province  is  not  to  explain, 
but  to  help  preserve  life. 

IV. 

Life  is  organization  itself;  that  is,  acting  inher- 
ently and  intrinsically  within  itself.  This  vital  force 
cannot  be  studied  with  mathematical  certainty.    A 


LIFE  n 

bullet  may  be  lodged  in  the  brain  or  in  the  lungs, 
or  the  bowels  may  be  perforated,  and  the  patient 
live;  yet  the  sting  of  a  bee,  or  the  scratch  of  a  pin, 
is  sometimes  sufficient  to  cause  death.  Napoleon, 
reciting  his  long  personal  experience  in  St.  Helena, 
wisely  remarked:  "Life  is  a  fortress  which  neither 
you  nor  I  know  anything  about;  why  throw  ob- 
stacles in  the  way  of  its  defense?  Water,  air  and 
cleanliness  are  the  chief  articles  in  my  pharma- 
coepia." 

V. 

Life  is  warmth,  growth,  repair,  and  po  ver  of 
labor.  The  first  necessity  of  human  existence  is 
warmth,  alike  indispensable  to  infancy,  manhood, 
and  old  age.  At  every  period  of  the  year,  in  the 
tropics  and  at  the  poles,  the  human  body  maintains 
the  same  temperature,  which  is  98^  Fahrenheit. 
Life  may  be  considered  different  in  quantity  and  / 
quality  in  persons./  Suppose  ten  men  of  the  same 
height  ,weight  and  age,  after  being  examined  by  the 
best  and  most  careful  diagnosticians  and  found  to  be 
equally  healthy,  and,  so  far  as  they  were  able  to  as- 
certain, not   la;boring   under  any   disability,    were 


j 


18  LIFE 

forced  to  lie  upon  the  ground  exposed  to  a  cold, 
drizzly,  rainy  night,  all  being  clad  aUke,  what  would 
be  the  result  next  morning?    These  ten  men,  who 
lived  through  the  severe  ordeal,  would  present  dif- 
ferent symptoms  expressive  of  discomfort  and  dis- 
ease.    One  probably  would  have  a  sore  throat  or  a 
marked  sensation  of  chilliness,  and,  after  taking  a 
dififusive  stimulant,  experience  no  further  unpleas- 
ant "sequelae."     Another  might  have  pain  in  the 
chest,  with  fever,  followed  by  pneumonia  (inflam- 
mation of  the  lungs).     Another,  have  a  pain  well 
marked  in  the  joints  (rheumatism).     Still  another 
might  have  diarrhoea.     One  probably  would  be  af- 
flicted with  an  acute  attack  of  nephritis  (inflamma- 
tion of  the  kidneys  or  Bright's  disease),  from  which 
he  would  eventually  die.  Of  the  ten  men,  all  healthy 
so  far  as  could  be  ascertained  by  the  experienced 
medical  examiners  the  day  before,  one  would  prob- 
ably   die,     several     others     be     ill     with     various 
diseases,  and  one  or  two  suffer  scarcely  any  bodily 
injury  from  the  exposure  to  which  they  were  sub- 
jected.    Why  such  a  difference  in  results?    Those 
born  of  delinquent,  scrofulous,  consumptive,  ner- 
vous or    rheumatic    ancestry,    had    not    the    grit, 


LIFE  W 

the  stimulus,  the  force,  the  strength  or  invulnerabil- 
ity of  constitution  to  resist  the  pernicious  influence 
of  dampness  and  chilliness,  to  which  they  were 
exposed,  while  those  who  were  born  of  healthier 
parents,  better  fed  and  more  intelligently  educated 
physically,  stood  the  strain  with  but  little  evil  re- 
sults. 

VI. 

Life  is  resistance  to  death.  It  commences  in  a 
cell  1/3500  part  of  an  inch  in  diameter.  There  is 
a  great  deal  said  and  written  in  reference  to  the 
anatomy  and  physiology  of  this  cell,  about  which, 
in  truth,  we  know  nothing.  The  germ  cell,  which 
was  regarded  by  its  discoverers  as  a  chemical  com- 
pound of  oxygen,  hydrogen  and  nitrogen,  related  to 
albumen,  or  of  hydrogen,  oxygen,  nitrogen,  carbon, 
sulphur  and  phosphorus,  and  thereby  considered 
within  the  reach  of  laboratory  manufacture,  is  now 
known  to  be  a  very  complete  system  of  fibres,liquids 
and  granules,  far  beyond  the  power  of  man  to  con- 
struct. In  this  minute  cell  it  is  now  universally 
held  that  life  commences. 


\ 


20  LIFE 

VII. 
Vital  resistance,  or,  as  the  physicians  call  it,  the 
"vis  medicatrix  naturae/'  is  a  most  potent  factor 
to  resist  the  encroachment  of  death  than  the  best 
agent  known  in  the  whole  pharmacopoeia  of  med- 
icine. Strength  is  increased  by  being  used,  and 
lost  by  being  too  much  hoarded.  Moderate  exercise 
of  the  brain  and  muscles  is  absolutely  necessary  for 
the  maintenance  of  good  health.  The  active  and 
laborious,  who  court  sunshine  and  fresh  air,  seldom 
complain  of  disease.  No;  these  evils  are  reserved 
for  the  sons  of  ease  and  affluence;  for  inactivity 
produces  many  evils,  induces  relaxation  of  the 
solids^such  as  indigestion  or  glandular  obstructions, 
etc.  (The  most  extraordinary  instances  of  long- 
evity are  to  be  found  among  those  classes  of  man- 
kind who,  amidst  daily  labor  and  in  the  open  air, 
lead  a  simple  life  agreeable  to  nature,  such  as  labor- 
ers, gardeners,  and  hunters?)  Great  changes  must 
'take  place  in  our  habits,  education,  mode  of  living, 
and  environment  (surroundings),  before  the  lon- 
gevity predicted  by  the  prophet  Isaiah  shall  be  ful- 
filled: "There  shall  be  no  more,  thence,  an  infant 
of  days,  nor  an  old  man  that  has  not  filled  his  days; 


LIFE  81 

for  the  child  sliall  die  one  hundred  years  old.     The 
days  of  a  tree  are  the  days  of  my  people." 

The  pleasures  of  life  consist  in  alternate  rest  and 
motion,  but  they  who  neglect  the  latter  never  enjoy 
the  former.     Man  is  not  formed  for  perpetual  study 
and  fatigue  of  mind.     It  is    wearisome  and  ruinous 
to  the  body,  if  a  recess  is  not  taken,  and  if  repose 
and  exercise  do  not  alternate.     Moderate  and  reg- 
ular labor  coils  up  the  main-spring  of  life,  but  irreg- 
ular sallies  break  it.     The  sudden  spurts  of  ball- 
running,  fast  cycling,  and  other  violent  exercises,! 
increasing  too  suddenly  the   vigor   of   the    heart's  i 
action,  is  often  injurious;  but  systematic  exercise  is  | 
beneficial.  ^  ' 

The  diseases  of  an  agricultural  community,  or  of 
those  of  any  condition  of  mankind  exposed  to  the 
weather  at  all  seasons,  are  principally  of  the  in- 
flammatory class,  such  as  pneumonia,  pleurisy, 
bronchitis,  quinsy,  rheumatism,  etc.,  while  mal- 
adies Oi  a  nervous  character,  such  as  dyspepsia, 
melancholia,  paralysis,  idiocy  and  insanity,  are 
alarmingly  on  the  increase  in  the  people  of  seden- 
tary occupations  and  brain-workers  in  our  cities. 
Physical  strength  cannot  long  be  possessed  under 


f 

22  LIFE 

enervating  modes  of  living; the  stature  and  the  mind 
must  degenerate.  The  rural  life  occupied  a  con- 
siderable portion  of  the  time  with  the  Roman 
worthies  of  the  old  republic,  who  were  early  trained 
to  endure  hunger,  thirst,  running,  leaping,  swim- 
ming, etc.  But  gradually  luxurious  living,  vices,  de- 
baucheries, followed  upon  the  plain  life  and  repub- 
lican virtues.  And  Rome,  proud,  haughty  and  im- 
perious, fell  through  her  excesses,  debased  and  ex- 
hausted. 

CWe  are  creatures  of  heredity,  habits  and  environ- 
mt;  and  health  consists  in  an  equilibrium  be- 
tween two  aggregates  of  force,  one  representing 
the  body,  the  other  all  the  surroundings  in  which  it 
is  placed.  Health  does  not  consist  so  much  in  a 
certain  height  or  weight  of  body,  or  girth  of  chest, 
as  in  a  condition  of  correspondence  to  its  environ- 
ment. The  robust  and  well-fed  North  American 
or  European,  when  removed  to  Cuban  soil,  residing 
in  a  climate  and  surroundings  so  different  from  that 
to  which  he  and  his  ancestry  were  accustomed,  will 
succumb  readily  to  disease,  while  the  small  and  ill- 
fed  native  will  escape  its  ravages.  The  influence 
of  acclimatization  must  be  considered  as  a  factor  in 


LIFE  23 

the  production  of  either  health  or  disease.  There 
are  some  locations  in  Africa  which  are  recognized 
as  death-spots  to  the  white  race;  yet  the  negroes, 
born  and  reared  there,  where  their  ancestors  lived 
for  generation^,  enjoy  comparatively  good  health. 

VIII. 

Like  begets  hke.     The  insane,  the  idiotic,  the 
syphilitic,    the    consumptive,    should    not    marry. 
Alas!  while  this  may  be  true  in  science  as  being 
detrimental  to  the  offspring,  it  cannot  be  enforced 
in  practice.     Plutarch   says:     "One   drunkard  be- 
o-ets  another."     Statistics  have  shown  that  the  chil- 
dren  of  drunkards  are  often  criminals,  and,  like  the 
insane,  are  born  with  constitutions  so  weakened  by 
a  vitiated  ancestry  that  they  are  unable  to  fight  the 
good  battle  of  life  and  resist  the  temptations  to  evil 
so  well  as  those  born  of  healthier,  more  moral  and 
sober  parents.     As  in  the  form,  the  color  of  the 
hair,  the  expression,  the  gait,  the  external  manifes- 
tations of  physique  appear  in  the  child  similar  to 
either  parent,  it  is  not  rational  to  conclude  that  the 
temperament  and  the  attributes  of  character,  should 
also  be  transmitted   from  parent  to  child?     Does 


24  LIFE 

not  this  seem  to  be  the  rule,  even  if  exceptions  must 
be  admitted? 

Education  does  not  commence  when  the  child 
goes  to  school.  There  is  an  anterior  education  (be- 
fore the  birth  of  the  child),  which  many  mothers 
can  impress  on  their  unborn  offspring.  While  there 
is  no  nervous  or  blood  connection  directly  existing 
between  the  mother  and  the  child  in  the  womb,  yet 
maternal  impressions  are  transmitted  in  an  un- 
known manner,  as  shown  by  well  authenticated 
facts,  though  pathologists  would  have  us  consider 
those  peculiarities  as  coincidences.  There  is  no 
doubt,  however,  in  the  minds  of  the  practical,  ob- 
serving and  experienced  physicians  who  have  stud- 
ied diseases  outside  of  books,  that  the  moral,  physi- 
cal and  intellectual  traits  of  parents  are  more  or  less, 
transmitted  to  their  children.  ' 

The  evil  propensities  -of  parents  seem  surer  of 
transmission  than  the  good  ones.  Hence  we  say: 
a  chip  of  the  same  block.  The  Germans  express 
the  same  thought  by  saying:  the  apple  falls  not  far 
from  the  tree.  But  as  the  learned  pathologists 
cannot  explain  the  function  of  the  spleen,  or  why 
the  heart  continues  to  beat,  and  many  other  plain 


LIFE  26 

and  stubborn  facts,  we  must  believe  with  Shakes- 
peare: 'There  are  more  things  in  heaven  and 
earth,  Horatio,  than  are  dreamt  of  in  your  philoso- 

phy." 


CHAPTER  II 

PHYSICIANS  AND  QUACKS 

The  profession  of  medicine  is  approved  in  Eccle- 
siasticus,  Chapter  XXXVIII  (R.  C.  Bible). 

1.  Honor  the  physician  for  the  need  thou  hast 
of  him;  for  the  Most  High  God  hath  created  him. 

2.  For  all  healing  is  from  God;  and  he  shall  re- 
ceive gifts  of  the  King. 

3.  The  skill  of  the  physician  shall  lift  up  his 
head,  and  in  the  sight  of  great  men  he  shall  be 
praised. 

4.  The  Most  High  hath  created  medicines  out 
of  the  earth;  and  a  wise  man  will  not  abhor  them. 

5.  Was  not  bitter  water  made  sweet  with  wood? 

6.  The  virtue  of  these  things  is  come  to  the 
knowledge  of  men;  and  the  Most  High  hath  given 
knowledge  to  men  that  He  may  be  honored  in  His 
wonders. 

7.  By  these  he  shall  cure  and  shall  allay  their 

(26) 


PHYSICIANS  AND  QUACKS  27 

pains;  and  of  these  the  apothecary  shall  make  sweet 
confections,  and  shall  make  up  ointments  of  health; 
and  of  his  works  there  shall  be  no  end. 

It  would  seem  that  faith-curers  and  pseudo-sci- 
entists, that  quacks  and  faddists,  ignore  the  above 
injunction.  How  can  it  be  expected  that  illness 
will  be  removed  by  a  Divine  intervention  when  the 
natural  means,  adapted  for  relief,  are  not  used? 

Why  not  as  well  expect  the  Lord  to  pay  our 
debts  or  feed  us  without  food?  Is  it  not  an  un- 
warranted assumption  on  the  part  of  an  unprofes- 
sional^ a  veritable  empiric,  to  palm  ofl  upon  the 
public  preparations  and  concoctions  of  doubtful 
efficacy,  merely  for  the  sake  of  the  "almighty  dol- 
lar?" Is  it  not  monstrous  to  pretend  that  one  and 
the  same  medicine  will  relieve  any  kind  of  sickness, 
in  any  kind  of  person,  in  any  kind  of  condition? 

Alas,  the  sure  panacea  for  all  ills  has  not  yet  been 
discovered,  and  is  as  little  likely  to  be  discovered  as 
the  philosopher's  stone  that  can  change  everything 
into  gold.  Let  it  be  respectfully  but  frankly  said, 
that  if  some  ministers  of  the  Gospel  were  as  wil- 
ling to  expound  the  above  quotation  in  ref- 
erence to  the  skill  of  the  physician,  and  also  the  last 


1 


28  PHYSICIANS  AND  QUACKS 

verses  of  chapter  XIV  of  Leviticus,  which  treats  of 
hygiene,  as  they  appear  to  be  ready  to  recommend 
secret  nostrums  over  their  signatures,  how  much 
more  good  to  humanity  not  only  from  a  physical  but 
also  from  a  moral  point  of  view,  would  they  accom- 
plish. 

Religious  journals  of  every  denomination  will  ad- 
vertise ''sure  cures,"  and  publish  statements  from 
church  divines  that  are  calculated  to  mislead  and 
delude  the  people.  Physicians  treat  the  condition 
of  the  patient;  C^nd  the  treatment  of  the  same  dis- 
ease in  two  individuals  may  be  entirely  different,  re- 
quiring entirely  different  prescriptions^  How  then 
can  the  one  and  the  same  medicine  be  recommend- 
ed or  endorsed  for  all  individuals?  It  is  unfortu- 
nate that  clergymen  are  often  so  easily  influenced 
as  to  allow  their  names  to  be  used  for  such  objec- 
tionable purposes.  (The  late  Dr.  Oliver  Wendell 
Holmes  says  boldly  that  "quackery  hobbles  on  two 
crutches,  the  tattle  of  women,  and  the  certificates  of 
clergymen.'^  Why  should  certainties  be  expected 
of  the  physician  in  his  efforts  to  *'cure"  a  constitu- 
tion physically  depraved  by  heredity,  bad  habits 
and  unliealthy  environment,  while  the  lawyer  and 


PHYSICIANS  AND  QUACKS  29 

clergyman  generally  escape  criticism  and  censure? 
There  is  no  positive  "cure"  or  specific  for  any  dis- 
ease, though  the  efficacy  of  medicines   cannot  be 
questioned.     The  existing  condition,  the  constitu- 
tion, the  weak  points  of  the  organism,  must  be  at- 
tended to;  each  case  being  a  law  unto  itself.      The 
clergyman  does  all  in  his  power  to  improve  the 
morals  of  the  individual,  but  sometimes  fails;  the 
lawyer  does  not  always  succeed  in  winning  his  case, 
notwithstanding  his  legal  lore;  and  the  physician, 
who  has  done  the  best  that  medical  science  can  dic- 
tate, has  truthfully  "cured"  his  patient,  that  is,  he 
cared  for  him  properly,  though  the  patient   may 
have  died;  for  the  word  "cure,"  from  the  Latin 
word  "cura,"  care,  in  the  scientific  sense,  means 
what  its  original  derivation  implies,  to  "care  for 
properly."     Clergymen  are   often    called    "curates, 
"^   those  who  care  for  souls,"  a  term  which  should  be 
applicable  to  physicians,  who  "care    for    bodies," 
though    it    is    not    conventional.       The     physician 
"cures,"  or  cares  for  the  body,  as  the  clergyman 
cures"  or  cares  for  the  soul.    A  "cure"  or  a  "sure- 
cure,"  has  always  been  the  talisman  of  the  vendor 
of  nostrums  and  the  trademark    of   the    impudent 


30  PHYSICIANS  AND  QUACKS 

quack.  Whether  a  lawyer  can  win  your  case  or  a 
clergyman  save  your  soul,  is  as  uncertain  as  that  a 
physician  can  "cure"  you.  In  the  present  state  of 
our  knowledge,  the  truth  is  simply  this:  There  are 
persons  with  certain  diseases  tliat  will  get  well  when 
cared  for  properly,  and  by  using  medicinal  agents. 
These  may  be  said  to  be  "'curable;"  but,  it  must 
be  remembered  that  "cure"  is  always  relative,  for 
perfect  health  is  extremely  rare.  There  is  a  class 
of  diseases  that  may  be  relieved  by  change  of  diet, 
occupation,  environment,  and  habits  of  life.  There 
are  quite  a  number  of  self-limited  diseases,  such  as 
measles,  scarlet-fever,  whooping  cough,  typhoid 
fever,  smallpox  and  so  on,  that  cannot  be  jugulated 
or  cut  off,  or  broken  up,  or  their  course  terminated 
by  any  means  at  our  command.  They  are  all  mod- 
ified more  or  less  by  treatment.  The  incurable  dis- 
eases have  been,  from  tlie  beginning,  the  best 
money-making  schemes  for  the  quacks  who  guar- 
antee sure  "cures."  It  does  not  seem  to  occur  to 
those  who  contribute  their  money  and  assist  the 
"sure  curers"  that  every  human  being  must  die  of 
an  incurable  disease,  whether  he  lives  a  minute,  a 
day,  a  month,  a  year  or  a  century.    Why  physicians 


PHYSICIANS  AND  QUACKS  31 

do  not  advertise  their  "cures"  in  the  daily  papers, 
as  business  men  do  their  wares,  is  often  aslced  by  in- 
telligent persons,  who,  upon  a  little  reflection, 
would  see  the  folly  of  such  a  question.  A  physician 
can  advertise  his  address  and  ofKice  hours;  but  if  he 
should  state  that  he  can  "cure,"  he  loses  the  respect 
of  the  profession,  and  is  unv/orthy  the  confidence  of 
the  people.  No  honorable  physician  will  guarantee 
a  "cure,"  as  complications  may  arise,  even  in  the 
most  trivial  complaints,  that  may  terminate  the 
patient's  life. 

The  printed  statements  of  v/onderful  cures  made 
by  advertising  quacks,  should  not  be  believed,  as 
they  are  deliberate  frauds,  entirely  fictitious;  or 
they  are  the  manifestation  of  a  desire  of  some  peo- 
ple to  see  their  names  in  print.  The  names  of 
statesmen,  clergymen,  Indian  missionaries,  medical 
men,  dead  and  alive,  vvith  their  pictures,  as  well  as 
those  of  the  chronic  invalids,  "given  up  by  the  doc- 
tors," are  used  for  the  purpose  of  fleecing  the  ig- 
norant and  credulous.  Even  some  physicians,  who 
are  teachers  in  medical  colleges,  or  editors  of  medi- 
cal journals,  will  at  times  endorse  remedies  guaran- 
teed to  "cure,"  about  the  efflcacy  of  which  they 


32  PHYSICIANS  AND  QUACKS 

know  nothing,  in  order  that  their  names  may  ap- 
pear as  professors  of  certain  branches  of  medicine, 
or  associated  with  a  medical  press,  padded  with 
many  untruthful  advertisements.  They  will  even 
write  articles,  and  give  testimonials,  paid  for  by 
drug  firms,  extolling  the  virtues  and  curative  prop- 
erties of  medical  preparations,  without  even  having 
tested  any  of  them. 

"But  now  our  quacks  are  gamesters,  and  they  play 
With  craft  and  skill,  to  ruin  and  betray. 
With  monstrous  promise  they  delude  the  mind, 
And  thrive  on  all  that  tortures  humankind. 
Void  of  all  honor,  avaricious,  rash, 
The  daring  tribe  compound  their  boasted  trash, 
Tincture  or  syrup,  lotion,  drop  or  pill, 
All  tempt  the  sick  to  trust  the  lying  bill." 

People  have  changed  in  the  last  quarter  of  a  cen- 
tury, and  so  has  the  species  of  quack. 

The  medico-theological  pretender,  half  doctor, 
half  preacher  (smooth  of  tongue  and  slick  of  dress), 
who  gives  testimonials  as  to  the  efficacy  of  blood 
remedies,  headache  powders,  sore  throat  relievers, 
has  taken  a  strong  hold  on  the  impressionable 
element  of  the  community.     He  boasts  of  his  ex- 


PHYSICIANS  AND  QUACKS  33 

perience  "in  seeing  disease,"  which  he  regards  in 
the  same  Hglit  as  seeing  a  steam-engine  or  an  agri- 
cukural  instrument, of  the  component  parts  or  func- 
tions of  which  he  knows  nothing.     He  is  a  very- 
mysterious  individual,  and  is  Hkely  to  recommend 
the  infalHble  Indian  rcsuscitator,  or  the  Egj^ptian 
sore-eye  lubricator.     He  is  as  ignorant  of  the  rudi- 
ments of  anatomy  and    physiology    as    a    dancing 
Dervish,  yet  he  undertakes  to  treat  disease,   and 
prostitutes  his  "cloth"  to  aid  him  in  flattering  his 
vanity,   or  putting  dollars   into   his   pockets.     He 
will  remain  with  us  for  some  time,  as  the  people 
have  faith  in  him.     There  are  quacks  of  all  kinds, 
from  the  most  ignorant  to  the  highest  type  of  in- 
tellectuality.    The  liar  is  always  a  quack.     There 
is  the  vendor  of  headache  powders,   corn   salves, 
liver  stimulators,    electric    belts,    rheumatic  rings, 
dressed  in  long-hair  Indian  costumes,  mounted  on 
a  wagon,  accompanied  by  the  song  and  dance  man, 
who,  with  brazen  face,  and  stentorian  voice,  pro- 
claims his  wonderful  discovery  to  the  emotional  and 
astonished  multitude.     He  is  "able  and  willing"  to 
give  $500.00  or  any  larger  sum  for  every  case  he 
cannot  cure.     He  can   make  a  fortune  by  selling 


34  PHYSICIANS  AND  QUACKS 

bread-pills  or  sugared  water,  and  the  people  believe 
in  him. 

Then  we  have  all  sorts  and  characters  of  *'docs" 
and  doctors.  There  are  alopathic,  homeopathic,  os- 
teopathic, eclectic  and  electric,  hypnotic,  dosimetric, 
medico-therapeutic,  botanical,  Thomsonian  and 
hydropathic  "docs."  There  are  some  regular  phy- 
sicians, many  irregular,  and  others  very  defective, 
with  rational  and  irrational  systems  of  medicine. 

The  following  definitions  of  the  "pathies"  have 
been  given  by  a  jolly  correspondent  of  a  medical 

journal : 

Christian  Science— Suggestion  plus  absurdity. 

Divine  Healing — Suggestion  plus  faith  in  God's 
mercy. 

Osteopathy — Suggestion  plus  massage  (knead- 
ing and  rubbing). 

Hydropathy — Suggestion  plus  water. 

Metaphysical  Healing — Suggestion  plus  fog. 

Hypnotism — Suggestion  plus  fog. 

Spiritualism  is  somnambulism,  etc. 

Theosophy  is  an  intellectual  pleasantry. 

There  are  those  that  ''cure"  by  air,  those  that 
"cure"  by  water,  those    that    "cure"    by    fasting. 


PHYSICIANS  AND  QUACKS  36 

There  are  eye-doctors,  ear-doctors,  nose-doctors, 
throat-doctors,  kmg-doctors,  bowel-doctors,  worm- 
doctors  and  corn-doctors.     Tlien  there  are  doctors 
that  wear  their  hair  long,  that  lisp  affectedly,  and 
there  are  those  whose  names  often  appear  in  the 
newspapers  as  having  performed  some  remarkable 
operation,or  being  engaged  in  the  advertising  job  of 
treating  some  distinguished  citizen.     There  are  ex- 
perimental doctors,  who  try  every  new  fad,  mechan- 
ical appliance  and  remedy,  though  of  doubtful  ef^c- 
acy,  that  appear  in  the  journals,  in    order    to    be 
modern,    and    recognized    by    the    smatterer    of 
pseudo-science   as   fin-de-siecle.     This    up-to-date 
doctor  is  usually  the  greatest  humbug  that  exists. 
He  knows  well  the  hysterical  condition  with  which 
so  many  people  are  afflic'ted.    Something  new — but 
not  necessarily  true — the  people    want,    and    why 
should  not  he  be  the  man  to  give  it  to  them,  and 
please  them?     Such  is  his  stock  in  trade.     He  is 
always  agreeable  in  manner;  he  will  smile  and  smile 
and  take  your  pocket-book  with  a    smile.      The 
lady  who  comes  to  his  offtce  firmly  believing  that 
she  has  gastric  catarrh,  or  is  "threatened"  with  ap- 
pendicitis or  an  ovarian  tumor,  will  find  in  him  a 


36  PHYSICIANS  AND  QUACKS 

very  sympathetic  and  charming  consultant.  By  a 
wave  of  the  hand,  a  look  of  the  eye,  the  elegant 
poise,  the  spectacular  display,  she  is  convinced  that 
he  is  a  great  man,  and,  as  he  has  agreed  with  her 
in  every  particular  about  her  case,  which  she  thinks 
she  has  successfully  diagnosed,  he  knows  just  what 
he  is  talking  about.  For  this  species  of  quack,  a 
short  apprenticeship  in  a  large  popular  retail  dry- 
goods  store,  under  a  strict,  shrewd  business  man,  is 
a  pre-requisite  to  a  successful  and  money-making 
career  in  medicine.  With  him,  practice  is  entirely 
a  business  matter.  He  studies  the  art  and  manner- 
isms of  commercial  life,  which  he  utilizes  in  his 
shop  talk  and  advertising  strategy. 

in  *  ^  *  -Ki  ^ 

The  general  practitioner  is  too  often  led  by  the 
views  of  enthusiasts  in  specialism,  some  of  whom 
are  authors,  whose  experience  is  confined  in  a 
great  measure  to  dispensary  and  hospital  prac- 
tice. We  know  the  dangers  from  puerperal  fever 
are  enhanced  in  the  septic  lying-in  wards  of  hos- 
pitals; and  statistics  based  on  results  of  practice 
among  the  chronic  dependents  on  public  clinics 
and  habitual  medicine-takers,  who  frequent  these 


PHYSICIANS  AND  QUACKS  37 

institutions,  are  not  so  reliable  or  useful  to  the  gen- 
eral practitioner  as  the  experience  he  obtains  by 
treating  patients  who  are  so  fortunate  as  not  to  be 
compelled  to  take  advantage  of  these  institutions. 

The  profession  is  in  danger  of  being  disintegrat- 
ed and  engulfed  by  the  speculative,  business-like 
methods  of  some  specialists  and  medicine-venders. 
The  enthusiastic  tyro  in  microscopy  and  bacteriol- 
ogy, on  account  of  the  emotional  disturbance  pro- 
duced by  a  strain  of  expectant  attention,  cannot  be 
rehed  upon  as  an  exponent  of  the  germ  theory.  The 
grave  Importance  of  personal  equation  In  the  con- 
sideration of  such  Issues  is  but  little  thought  of. 
There  is  danger  of  his  seeing  germs  everywhere. 

Only  a  few  years  ago,  the  profession  was  startled 
with  the  announcement  of  the  discovery  of  a  real 
elixir  of  life.  Under  its  potent  and  magic  influ- 
ence the  decrepitude  of  senility,  with  its  attendant 
harrowing  cares  and  enfeebled  mind,  was  to  be 
transformed  Into  the  sprightliness  and  elasticity  of 
youth.  The  period  of  life  known  as  old  age  was 
to  become  obsolete,  and  physiological  laws  were  to 
be  ignored  and  trampled  upon.  The  impression- 
able octogenarian  was  to  have  his  youth  "renewed 


38  PHYSICIANS  AND  QUACKS 

as  the  eagle's;"  and  we  were  assured  that,  what 
Ponce  de  Leon  had  sought  in  vain  and  lost  his  life 
in  pursuit  of,  was  given  to  mankind  by  Brown-Se- 
quard.  It  seemed  to  be  accepted  that  death,  which 
followed  the  primal  disobedience,  was  to  disappear 
from  earth.  A  nostrum  was  to  effect  this  won- 
drous  revolution!  The  "fad"  was  taken  up  by 
some  members  of  the  profession,  who  coveted 
patients  to  submit  to  the  exhibition.  The  daily 
press  greedily  sought  the  records  of  the  return  from 
age  to  youth  of  those  injected  with  the  elements  of 
rejuvincscence,  and  physicians  gave  out  bulletins  of 
the  condition  and  progress  of  their  patients  to  wait- 
ing reporters.  The  tone  of  the  profession  was  low- 
ered when  physicians  set  a  fairy  tale  against  the  im- 
mutable laws  of  science,  against  the  records  of  hu- 
manity. The  dignity,  which  attaches  to  a  science, 
was  abased  when  physicians  advertised  their  ad- 
herence to  a  fad  in  a  manner  that  may  justly  be 
compared  with  the  heralding  of  the  contortions  of 
an  acrobat  or  the  grimaces  of  a  clown. 

We  were  later  invaded  by  the  *'fad"  of  ''kochine;" 
and  some  physicians,  through  the  daily  press,  in- 
formed the  profession  that  under  the  influence  of 


PHYSICIANS  AND  QUACKS  39 

Koch's  lymph,  the  temperature  of  the  tuberculous 
patient  fell,  the  pulse  was  lowered,  and  a  careful 
examination  revealed  the  fact  that  tuberculous 
products  were  rapidly  disappearing.  Physicians 
again  sank  to  the  level  of  chapmen  advertising  their 
wares,  and  the  "fad"  vanished  after  a  brief  period. 

It  is  unfortunate  that  songs  of  fame  and  glory 
are  being  constantly  sung  around  the  daring  of 
the  knife  in  surgery.  Many  of  our  medical  asso- 
ciations are  only  mutual  admiration  societies,  where 
some  members  report  for  publication,  success,  suc- 
cess, success,  while  their  unsuccessful  cases  are 
relesrated  to  the  realms  of  innocuous  desuetude. 
Unfortunately  many  of  those  who  read  papers  at 
conventions  remember  that  "we  chronicle  no 
French  defeats  in  the  galleries  at  Versailles."  Away 
with  the  plague-spots  of  sensationalism,  "shop- 
talk"  cures,  successful  radical  operations,  and  spec- 
ulative nonentities  which  are  often  reported  in  the 
daily  press  as  advertising  matter! 

Happily,  the  tendency  to  such  acts  of  notoriety 
exists  only  among  a  small  number  of  physicians. 
The  great  majority  labor  faithfully  and  earnestly 
in  the  field  of  true  science,  and  are  not  so  possessed 


40  PHYSICIANS  AND  QUACKS 

of  the  ''ego"  but  that  they  can  still  believe  that  the 
word  ''cure"  means  to  care  for  properly,  and  that  the 
"vis  medicatrix  naturae"  exercises  a  potent  in- 
fluence in  the  course  of  disease.,  "The  general  prac- 
titioner, with  the  broadest  field  for  observation, 
must  be  alive  to  every  advance  of  medicine,  and 
carefully  reject  the  views  of  extremists,  who  have 
only  theories  to  maintain.  When  called  to  the 
bedside  of  the  patient  at  the  approach  of  disease, 
he  forecasts  its  attack;  he  watches  its  course;  he 
sees  it  to  its  close.  He  is  the  mainstay  of  the 
afflicted,  the  solace  of  the  suflFerer.  He  will  best 
succeed,  in  his  capacity  as  physician  or  surgeon, 
who  holds  that  rational  progress,  in  harmony  with 
true  and  proper  conservatism,  is  the  grandest  gem 
in  the  diadem  of  practical  medicine." 

Since  the  above,  from  the  author  of  this  book,  ap- 
peared in  the  "American  Practitioner  and  News," 
in  1890,  other  fields  of  labor  have  been 
opened  up  for  brilliant  operators  and  spec- 
ulative faddists.  Appendicitis  has  recently  be- 
come the  fashionable  rage.  And  many  cases  are 
subjected  to  the  knife  that  would  recover  by  proper 
medical  treatment. 


PHYSICIANS  AND  QUACKS  41 

The  following  has  appeared  from  some  modern 
poet: 

Appendicitis. 

"Have  you  got  the  new  disorder? 
If  you  have  not  'tis  in  order 

To  succumb  to  it  at  once  without  delay. 
It  is  called  appendicitis, 
Very  different  from  gastritis, 

Or  the  common  trash  diseases  of  the  day. 

It  creates  a  happy  frolic, 
Something  like  the  winter  colic, 

That  has  often  jarred  our  inner  organs,  some; 
Only  wrestles  with  the  wealthy, 
And  the  otherwise  most  healthy; 

Having  got  it,  then  you're  nigh   to   kingdom 
come. 

Midway  down  in  your  intestine, 
Its  interstices  infestin', 

Is  a  little  alley,  blind  and  dark  as  night, 
Leading  off  to  simply  nowhere. 
Catching  all  strange  things  that  go  there; 

As  U  pocket,  it  is  simply  out  of  sight. 


42  PHYSICIANS  AND  QUACKS 

It  is  prone  to  stop  and  grapple 
With  the  seed  of  grape  or  apple, 

Or  a  soldier  button  swallowed  with  your  pie; 
Having  levied  on  these  chattels, 
Then  begin  eternal  battles 

That  are  apt  to  end  in  mansions  in  the  sky. 

Once  located,  never  doubt  it, 
You  would  never  be  without  it; 

It's  a  fad  among  society  that's  gay; 
Old  heart  failure  and  paresis 
Have  decamped  and  gone  to  pieces, 

And  dyspepsia  has  fallen  by  the  way. 

Then  stand  back  there,  diabetes. 
For  here  comes  appendicitis, 

With  a  brood  of  minor  troubles  on  the  wing. 
So,  vermiform,  here's  hoping 
You'll  withstand  all  drastic  doping, 

And    may    earn    the    appellation,    'Uncrowned 
King.'  " 

The  germ-hunting  theorist  who  believes  that  he 
sees  through  the  microscope  myriads  of  death- 
dealing  bacteria,  has  a  very  plausible  solution  of 
the  cause  of  all  the  ills  that  flesh  is  heir  to,  and 


PHYSICIANS  AND  QUACKS  43 

concludes  that  by  killing  the  bacteria  the  disease  is 
subdued.     But  unfortunately,  the  water  we  drink, 
the  air  we  breathe,  the  earth  wc  tread  upon,  teem 
with  micro-organisms.     What  good  or  harm  they 
do  is  not  so  well  known.    Bananas  will  not  grow  in 
Alaska,  the  products  of  the  sunny  South  will  not 
mature  in  tlie   extreme   North,  nor  will  the  con- 
stitution of  the  individual,  due  to  a  good  inheri- 
tance  and   proper  healthful   exercise   through   the 
benificent  agents  of  air  and  light,  be  easily  affected 
by  these  much  dreaded  microbes.     The  phagocytes 
of  the  blood  are  the  natural  product  of  cells,  and  are 
continually  fighting  our  battle  against  the  bacteria. 
The  vitality  of  the  system  must  be  lowered  before 
the   bacilli    can   do   harm.     It   would   appear   that 
while  so  much  fascinating  investigation  and  learned 
research   have   been   devoted  to   the   study   of  the 
genus  bacillus  and  its  habitat,  the  genus  homo  and 
its  environment  have  not  received  the  same  degree 
of  careful  thought  and  scientific  solicitude.     Exper- 
iments have  shown  that  sunbeams  are  able  to  de- 
stroy bacteria  in  water  at  least  twenty  inches  below 
the  surface,  and  this  destruction  is  greatest  when 
the  perpendicular  and  oblique  rays  enter  into  the 


44  PHYSICIANS  AND  QUACKS 

water  uninterrupted,  raking  the  enemy  with  a  cross- 
fire, as  it  were.  Dirt  and  darkness,  in  the  broadest 
and  most  comprehensive  signification  of  the  terms, 
are  the  chief  factors  in  the  causation  of  disease;  and 
pure  water,  pure  air,  pure  food,  pure  soil  and  sun- 
shine are  the  best  measures  for  its  prevention  and 
relief. 

Cleanliness,  persistent — yea  eternal — cleanliness, 
is  next  to  godliness,  and  is  the  price  of  safety.  We 
are  inhaling  thousands  of  germs  by  each  act  of 
breathing,  and  they  are  introduced  also  by  our 
food  and  drink.  If  possessed  of  virulent  properties, 
they  are  probably  rendered  innocuous  by  the  nat- 
ural antiseptic  agency  of  the  secretions  of  the  nose, 
mouth  etc.,  of  healthy  constitutions.  Should  they 
reach  the  blood  they  will  encounter  the  wandering 
phagocytes,  the  worthy  fortifiers  of  our  constitu- 
tions. 

While  the  consensus  of  medical  opinion  recog- 
nizes a  specific  germ  as  the  cause  of  disease,  surely 
heredity,  soil  or  constitution,  age,  environment, 
habits,  food  and  drink,  must  also  be  recognized  as 
important  and  necessary  factors  in  the  production 
of  diseases.     The  battle  of  life  consists  principally 


PHYSICIANS  AND  QUACKS  46 

in  our  effort  to  ward  off  filth  in  all  its  multifarious 
aspects,  seen  and  not  seen,  in  food,  water,  drink, 
soil  and  air.  The  germs  that  are  now  so  much 
spoken  of  are  traceable  to  these  two  sources— dirt 
and  darkness,  prolific  harbingers  of  discomfort, 
disease  and  death. 

For  the  cleansing  of  wounds,  the  prevention  of 
pus  and  blood  poisoning,  hot  water  alone,  or  solu- 
tions of  Carbolic  Acid  or  Bi-chloride  of  Mercury 
are  used— or  Iodoform,  Boric  Acid,  etc.  It  is 
possible,  however,  that  within  a  few  years  we  may  -^  .  jj^ 
turn  back  and  recognize  in  the  inorganic  principles 
of  Chloride  of  Sodium  (common  salt  and  water)  the 
best  and  safest  disinfectants  we  possess. 

The  faith-doctor  and  magnetic  healer  have  re- 
cently fastened  their  talons  on  the  gullible  com^ 
munity.    All  too  true:     ":Man  is   the   dupable    an- 
imal."    Quacks  in   medicine,    quacks    in    religion 
and  quacks  in  politics  know  it  well,  and  act  upon 
this   knowledge.     There    is    scarcely   anyone   who 
may  not,  like  a  trout,  be  taken  by  lures.     In  order 
to  expose  the  tricks  and  schemes  of  quacks  and 
humbugs,  it  must  be  understood  that  a  person  can 
be  blind  or  deaf,  dumb  or  paralyzed,  hysterically. 


16  PHYSICIANS  AND  QUACKS 

and  be  relieved  instantaneously  by  what  may  ap- 
pear the  fillip  of  the  fingers,  or  a  pass  of  the  hand. 
Hysteria  is  a  disease  marked  by  nervous  debility 
and  loss  of  will-power — a  hydra-headed  affection — 
and  its  varieties  of  nervous  manifestations  are  nu- 
merous and  extensive.  It  is  possible  for  a  person 
to  be  completely  paralyzed  from  hysteria,  and  get 
well  by  a  supreme  effort  of  the  will  alone,  without 
any  medication.  Persons  who  were  bed-ridden 
and  unable  to  move  for  years,  having  been  told 
that  the  house  was  on  fire,  got  up  and  walked.  The 
class  of  sufferers  known  to  the  medical  profession 
as  neurasthenics,  that  is,  persons  suffering  from 
marked  nervous  debility,  as  well  as  the  hysteric  and 
epileptic,  are  an  easy  prey  for  itinerant  tricksters. 
The  sedentary  occupations  and  indoor  life,  which 
characterize  our  present  civilization,  tend  to  de- 
velop the  neurotic  or  nervous  temperament. 

Tlie  specialist,  or  expert,  as  he  is  anxious  to  be 
called,  is  often  a  quack,  who  succeeds  in  filling  his 
pockets  with  the  ''almighty  dollar"  by  deceiving 
the  hysterical  and  the  neurotic.  The  honest 
specialist,  who,  after  years  of  experience  in  the 
general  practice  of  medicine,  may  have  acquired 


PHYSICIANS  AND  QUACKS  47 

a  positive  knowledge  of  the  diseases  that  baffle 
ordinary  skill,  if  he  has  a  taste  for  some  special  line 
of  work  and  thought,  and  prosecutes  his  studies  in 
that  direction,  is  \vorthy  of  all  credit  and  confidence. 
But  let  us  always  remember,  man  is  not  made 
of  eyes,  ears,  muscles,  bones  or  nerves  separately, 
nor  can  we  recognize  him  only  as  a  machine.  The 
heart  is  more  than  a  mechanical  pump,  the  lungs 
far  superior  to  a  bellows.  The  brain  is  not  an  elec- 
tric power-house,  and  the  human  being  cannot  be 
disconnected  and  disintegrated  by  a  mechanical  de- 
vice, or  a  trick  of  the  loop,  and  distributed  to  the 
chief  artisans  of  various  workshops.  No!  There  is 
an  admirably  adjusted  interdependent  and  harmoni- 
\  ous  action  existing  between  all  parts  of  the  human 
system.  \^The  specialist,  who  devotes  his  attention 
to  the  eye,  can  never  be  a  good  physician,  unless  he 
fully  understands  that  the  eye  affection  which  he 
treats  may  be  due  to  a  constitutional  cause,  and 
should  be  treated  accordingly .y  Syphillis,  malaria, 
"rheumatism,  diseases  of  the  kidneys,  etc.,  may  affect 
the  eye.  Hence,  he  who  treats  the  eye,  though  he 
may  be  possessed  of  good  mechanical  skill,  must 
be  able  to  remove,  as  far  as  possible,  the  depraved 


48  PHYSICIANS   AND   QUACKS 

general  condition  in  order  to  fully  perform  his  duty. 

CThe  public  generally  confound  a  symptom  with  a 
disease.  Let  us  take,  for  instance,  a  specialist — the 
headache  doctor.  A  headache  may  be  caused  by 
eye-strain,  bad  teeth,  neuralgia,  disease  of  the 
stomach,  of  the  liver,  of  the  kidneys,  of  the  brain, 
or  by  malaria,  constipation,  or  fever  of  any  kind. 
In  order  to  relieve  the  headache  it  is  necessary  to 
remove  the  cause.  The  heavy  eater,  whose  stom- 
ach is  unable  to  digest  the  excess  of  food  which  it 
received  last  evening,  may  have  a  headache  requir- 
ing entirely  different  treatment  from  the  delicate, 
worn-out  shop-girl,  whose  general  nervous  system 
is  debilitated,  or  the  student,  Who  has  a  defect  in  the 
refraction  of  his  eyes. 

Unloading  the  stomach  and  bowels  by  vomiting 
and  purging  will  succeed  in  one,  while  another  case 
requires  tonics,  sunshine  and  fresh  air;  another, 
again,  needs  glasses. 

Dropsy  is  a  symptom  of  disease,  and  is  caused  by 
obstruction  of  the  blood-vessels,  or  impoverishment 
of  the  blood.  It  may  occur  in  diseases  of  the  heart, 
the  liver,  the  lungs  or  the  kidneys.  Hence,  the  drop- 
sy doctor  is  a  ridiculous  speciaHst.    The  quack  who 


PHYSICIANS   AND   QUACKS  49 

advertises  "cures"  as  a  specialist,  with  recommend- 
ations from  prominent  citizens,  will  find  in  special- 
ism a  fine  field  to  extort  money  from  a  too  credu- 
lous public.  The  family  physician  or  general  prac-^ 
titioner  is  the  safest  to  employ,  and  should  be  first 
consulted  in  all  cases  of  disease,  before  seeking  any 
socialist.  Sliould  he  detect  a  diseased  condition 
that  may  require  more  dexterity  of  manipulation 


or  the  skill  of  a  craftsman,  he  will  gladly  seek 
counsel.  The  knowledge  derived" from  his  experl-'" 
ence  in  treating  the  family,  the  inherited  weak- 
nesses of  individuals,  or  the  special  knowledge  of 
the  case,  will  be  necessary  to  the  successful  labor 
of  the  specialist,  who  may  be  called  upon. 
The  following  has  made  the  rounds  of  the  press: 

The  Day  of  the  Specialist 

"Two  of  a  trade  can  never  agree," 

The  proverb  said  of  old ; 
And  never  a  doctor  could  there  be  found 

His  brethren  to  uphold. 
But  now  they  dwell  in  harmony, 

And  I'll  tell  you  how  'tis  done ; 
The  doctors  have  split  their  trade,  d'ye  see, 
^  There's  a  slice  for  everyone! 


50  PHYSICIANS  AND   QUACKS 

It  takes  nine  doctors  to  cure  a  man, 

Tho'  a  ninth  of  a  man  he  be! 
The  winter  winds  have  harmed  your  throat, 

You  must  go  to  Dr.  B., 
"Your  stomach  is  wrong,"  he  calmly  says. 

And  passes  you  to  C. 
You  mention  to  C.  that  pain  in  your  eye 

That  worries  you  night  and  day, 
"An  oculist's  case,"  he  quick  replies, 

"Just  call  upon  Dr.  J." 
"Too  much  Burgundy  has  blossomed  out 

In  the  joint  of  your  great  toe; 
Now,  where  is  H.,  so  famed  in  gout? 

To  him  you  must  swiftly  go." 
And  when  with  doctors  and  bills  you're  vexed, 

•  Till  all  your  nerves  succumb. 
To  minister  to  a  mind  perplexed. 

Another  M.  D.  must  come! 
At  last  you're  near  your  latest  breath, 

You  find  yourself  laid  low; 
The  faculty  are  in  at  death. 

To  give  you  leave  to  go. 
But  what's  the  matter  among  them  all, 

They  can't  exactly  tell, 


PHYSICIANS   AxND    QUACKS  51 

For  ''diagnosis,"  who  but  X. 

Can  answer  the  question  well? 
And  now  life's  fitful  fever  is  cured 

By  a  greater  Doctor  still; 
The  patient  is  sleeping  well  at  last, 

The  heirs  have  read  the  will. 
But  e'en  in  his  tomb,  his  friends  report, 

A  specialist's  care  he'll  need: 
Tlie  "AHenist,"  Z.,  must  appear  in  court, 
Lest  his  cranky  bequest  succeed. 
The  scientific  view  of  specialism  is  showm  in  St. 
Paul's  letter  to  tlie  Corinthians  (1  Cor.  XII): 
"For  as  the  body  is  one  and  hath  many  members, 
and  all  the  members  of  the  body,  whereas  they 
are  many  yet  are  one  body.  .  .  .  For  the  body  also  is 
not  one  member  but  m^any,  and  if  tlie  foot  should 
say:  Because  I  am  not  the  hand,  I  am  not  of  the 
body;  is  it  therefore  not  of  the  body?  And  if 
the  ear  should  say:  Because  I  am  not  the  eye,  I  ajn 
not  of  the  body;  is  it  therefore  not  of  the  body?  If 
the  whole  body  were  an  eye,  v.'licre  would  be  the 
hearing?  If  the  whole  were  hearing,  where  would 
be  the  smelling?  .  .  .  And  if  they  v/ere  all  one 
member,  where  would  be  the  body?    .     .     .     And 


52  PHYSICIANS  AND  QUACKS 

the  eye  cannot  say  to  the  hand:  I  need  not  thy 
help;  nor  again  the  head  to  the  feet:  I  have  no 
need  of  you.  .  .  .  And  if  one  member  suffer 
anything,  all  the  members  suffer  with  it." 

In  the  consulting  room  of  the  real  physician  the 
peculiarities  and  idiosyncracies  of  the  patient  will 
be  taken  into  consideration;  these  are  often  of  the 
utmost  importance  in  relieving  the  sufferer.  To 
rush  to  a  specialist,  who  has  only  limited  experience 
in  general  practice,  for  the  relief  of  any  affection, 
witliout  first  consulting  the  general  practitioner,  is 
often  futile.  At  a  recent  meeting  of  a  medical  socie- 
ty, the  president,  in  his  address,  deplored  the  fact 
that  too  many  young  and  inexperienced  physicians 
became  specialists,  without  having  had  sufficient 
knowledge  of  general  practice.  We  pity  the  un- 
fortunate patient  who  has  to  map  out  every  organ 
of  the  body  to  the  several  specialists,  each  pulling 
in  several  ways  and  each  magnifying  his  specialty 
at  the  expense  of  all  the  others,  and  overlooking  the 
general  condition  of  the  patient,  while  deeply  in- 
terested as  a  specialist  of  the  big  toe  or  the  little 
finger,  the  umbilicus  or  a  com.  Nothing  is  farther 
from  the  truth  than  that  every  organ  of  the  body 


PHYSICIANS   AND   QUACKS  53 

must  be  considered  a  distinct  entity.  The  clamor 
that  we  continually  hear  about  the  specialist  or  ex- 
pert should  be  hushed,  and  the  general  practitioner 
receive  his  proper  measure  of  consideration  at  the 
hands  of  the  public. 

John  Brown,  who  has  been  faithfully  following 
the  plow  on  his  father's  farm,  gets  tired  of  this 
healthful  occupation,  and  determines  to  be  a  doctor. 
He  attends  the  Cureopathic  Medical  Institute  ot 
Septlcopolls;  and  after  going  through  the  curricu- 
lum of  studies  prescribed  by  that  institution,  he 
comes  back  to  the  cross-roads  village,  and  enters  its 
general  store,  where  his  family  and  neighbors  pur- 
chase their  supplies.  Several  men  sitting  on  empty 
soap-boxes,  which  they  were  leisurely  reducing  to 
thin  kindling-wood  or  improvised  tooth-picks,  look- 
ed up;  suddenly  stopped  from  their  labors, and  won- 
dered who  the  gentleman  with  the  stove-pipe  hat 
and  new  city-cut  suit  of  clothes  could  be.  IMrs. 
Robinson,  Mrs.  Jones,  and  a  number  of  others  who 
lived  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  doctor's  home, 
were  making  purchases,  and  gazed  in  astonishment 
at  the  city-bred  appearance  of  the  new  doctor. 
'Xaw  me!    Is  this  John  Brown?"  said  Mrs.  Robin- 


54  PHYSICIANS  AND   QUACKS 

son,  ''how  changed  you  are!  Have  you  come  back 
to  locate  among  your  old  neighbors?  I  suppose 
you  have  learned  a  great  deal  in  the  big  city  about 
the  new  ways  of  treating  sickness,  and  'curing* 
people?"  ''Oil,  yes,"  said  this  new-fledged  disciple 
of  Esculapius ;  "you  remember  George  Thomas,  the 
silly  idiot,  who  never  had  good  sense.  I  can  'cure' 
him."  "Now,  you  do  not  mean  to  say,"  said  Mrs. 
Jones,  "that  you  can  put  good  sense  in  that  poor 
boy's  head?"  "Yes,  I  can,"  said  Dr.  Brown.  "I 
propose  to  perform  a  very  interesting  surgical  oper- 
ation upon  him.  I  shall  bore  his  skull  with  an  in- 
strum.ent  like  a  gimlet.  His  skull  is  too  thick.  I 
shall  slice  a  portion  of  it  ofif  and  raise  up  its  roof,  so 
that  his  brain  can  swell  and  expand,  and  by  that 
means  he  will  get  good  sense.  This  operation  is 
known  to  the  medical  profession  as  a  modification 
of  trephining  the  skull."  "Well,  that  is  surely 
great,"  said  Mrs.  Jones. 

"Then,  there  is  old  Joshua  Smith,"  continued  Dr. 
Brown,  "who  suffers  a  great  deal  from  severe  col- 
icky pains,  and  you  know  how  he  twists  and  writhes 
and  rolls  in  terrible  agony.  Dr.  Hayseed  is 
called  to  him  quite  often,  and  his  bill  for  treating 


O^  ^  "■:■ 


PHYSICIANS  AND   QUACKS  65 

Joshua  is  considerable  every  year,  as  Joshua  will 
not  give  up  his  taste  for  filling  his  stomach  with 
grapes  and  crab-apples.    Now,  I  propose  to  'cure' 
Mr.  Smith  completely  and  entirely,  so  that  he  will 
never  have  a    case  of    colic    again."     "Now,    you 
don't  say  so!"  said  Mrs.  Robinson.     ''Well,  I  do 
declare!     If  you  can  do  that,  you  must  be  a  great 
doctor!"     ''Yes,  ma'm.     Dr.  Hayseed  does  not  ex- 
actly know  what  the  trouble  is  with  Joshua.     He 
has  appendicitis,  and  I  propose  the  first  time  that 
he  is  again  attacked  to  make  an  incision  through 
the  skin  into  his  bowels,  and  remove  a  portion  of 
his  intestines.     I  can  do  it— sure.     Then   there    is 
Nancy  Harper,  who  lives  a  short  distance  up  the 
creek,  who  suffers  with  severe  cramps  every  month. 
I  intend,  if  I  shall  be  given  the  opportunity,  to  re- 
lieve her  completely  by  cutting  out  her  ovaries.  The 
old-fashioned  plan  of  making  hot  applications  and 
giving  medicine  in  such  cases  has  received  a  black 
eye  by  us  young  surgeons,  who  are  determined  to 
become  brilliant  operators.     And  really,  ladies,  my 
heart  bleeds  for  the  number  of  consumptives  who 
die  in    this    neighborhood,    and    ^vho    should    be 
'cured'  if  the  new  antiseptic  plan  of  treatment  were 


56  PHYSICIANS  A.ND   QUACKS 

adopted.  Consumption,  ]\Irs.  Robinson,  is  caused 
by  bugs,  very  small  bugs,  so  small  that  they  can't 
be  seen  with  the  naked  eye  (bacteria  is  the  scientific 
term);  and  those  bugs  get  into  the  system  and  gnaw 
and  eat  away  the  lungs.  I  have  medicine  that  can 
demohsh  them  every  time.''  ''Well,  Well!  To  put 
good  sense  in  George  Thomas's  head,  to  cut  Joshua 
Smith's  bowels  and  stop  his  cramping,  to  knock 
out  Nancy  Harper's  pains,  and  to  give  us  a  'sure 
cure'  for  consumption,  Johnnie,  (excuse  me)  Doc 
Brown,  that  is  great,  and  I  propose  to  tell  every- 
body in  the  neighborhood  what  you  can  do." 

Joshua  in  due  time  had  another  attack  of  cramps, 
and  he  was  subjected  to  an  operation  for  appendici- 
tis, though  the  practical  and  experienced  Dr.  Hay- 
seed insisted  that  it  was  unnecessary.  Tlie  opera- 
tion was  a  complete  success,  so  Dr.  Brown  said,  as 
Joshua  survived  the  cutting,  and  the  news  spread 
rapidly  throug^hout  the  neighborhood;  but  alas,  an 
unfortunate  complication,  peritonitis  (inflammation 
of  the  sac  that  covers  the  bowels)  set  in,  and  before 
a  week  elapsed,  poor  Joshua  was  quietly  sleeping 
with  his  fathers.  Dr.  Brown  emphasized  his  re- 
marks about  the  operation  by  stating  that,  only  for 


PHYSICIANS  AND  QUACKS  57 

this  complication,  over  which,  of  course,  he  had  no 
control,  Joshua  would  have  been  alive  and  well. 

The  antiseptic  "sure  cures"  for  consumption,  that 
the  good  doctor  learned  in  the  Cureopathic  Medical 
Institute  of  Septicopolis,  were  tested  in  a  few  cases 
of  consumption;  but  alas,  their  success  was  a  dis- 
appointment and  the  people's  confidence  in  the 
good  doctor  was  shaken.  The  persistent  and  em- 
phatic assertion  of  Dr.  Brown  that,  if  he  were  called 
in  a  little  sooner,  under  his  treatment  those  patients 
would  get  well,  was  not  received  favorably  by  the 
plain,  honest  country  folk,  the  relatives  and  ac- 
quaintances of  his  deceased  patients. 

The  relatives  of  George  Thomas,  and  of  Nancy 
Harper,  became  discouraged  at  the  non-success 
that  attended  Dr.  Brown's  learned  theoretical 
achievements,  and  positively  refused  to  alllow  the 
confident  doctor  to  attempt  In  those  two  cases  the 
experimental  work  with  the  knife  that  he  had  in- 
tended. After  a  short  time,  Dr.Brown  took  down  his 
shingle,  pulled  up  stakes,  and  went  back  to  the  city 
of  Septicopolis,  where  the  cranks  were  more  numer- 
ous, and  therefore  a  more  inviting  field  awaited 
him.     He  drifted  into  a  specialty  and  wrote  articles 


58  PHYSICIANS  AND  QUACKS 

for  the  daily  papers,  showing  new  modes  of  treat- 
ment that  he  had  devised,  and  expressing  his  opin- 
ion on  all  subjects  that  would  tend  to  advertise  him. 
For  a  while  he  succeeded  in  making  money,  but  ere 
long  his  impudence  and  charlatantry  were  found 
out.  He  sank  to  the  grade  of  a  patent  medicine  ven- 
der; and  not  having  money  enough  to  push  further 
his  advertising  ''sure  cures,"  he  was  soon  reduced  to 
a  condition  of  poverty  and  contempt — a  fit  reward 
for  such  an  evil  practitioner. 

There  is  another  species  of  quack  who  is  very 
friendly  and  well-disposed  to  newspaper  report- 
ers, and  is  sure  to  get  his  name  in  the  papers  on 
every  possible  occasion.  If  a  man  falls  from  a 
street  car,  is  bit  by  a  dog,  or  kicked  by  a  mule,  and 
receives  only  a  slight  injury,  all  the  resources  of 
Doctor  Blowhard's  medical  vocabulary  are  invoked 
to  describe  it  in  language  that,  to  the  laity,  shows 
surgical  learning  and  skill.  Instead  of  the  word 
skin,  ''integument"  is  used,  and  a  bruise  is  desig- 
nated as  a  "contusion."  He  successfully  plays  to 
the  galleries.  If  he  is  treating  a  distinguished  citi- 
zen, the  condition  of  such  a  patient,  and  the  pro- 
gress of  his  ailment,  are  reported  regularly,  taking 


\ 


PHYSICIANS  AND  QUACKS  59 

care  to  give  the  impression  that  the  ilhiess  has 
been  serious  and  alarming,  so  that  due  credit  will 
be  granted  him  by  the  community  in  case  of  recov- 
ery. He  takes  great  pride  in  airing  his  views,  if  an 
opportunity  presents  itself,  on  the  progress  of  medi- 
cine by  presenting  the  latest  fad  in  the  newspapers, 
ostensibly  for  the  benefit  of  the  public,  but  really 
as  a  cheap  advertisement  of  himself.  He  may  be  a 
teacher  in  a  Cureopathic  college,  and  if  so,  will  at- 
tend medical  societies,  read  papers,  give  his  exper- 
ience, which  may  be  very  limited,  and  will  not  allow 
an  event  of  this  character  to  pass  without  whisper- 
ing in  the  ear  of  the  newspaper  man  that  he  is  a 
professor  in  the  Cureopathic  Medical  Institute,  and 
straddles  two  or  three  chairs. 

The  habit-doctor,  who  cures  the  whiskey  habit, 
the  tobacco  habit,  the  morphine  habit,  the  cocaine 
habit,  is  possibly  the  latest  addition  to  the  ranks  of 
quackery.  How  any  person  of  reason  can  com- 
prehend why  medicine  should  be  given  for  the  cure 
of  a  habit,  surpasses  all  belief.  Suppose  that  I  am 
a  victim  of  the  whiskey  habit,  or  morphine  habit, 
a  d  present  myself  to  one  of  these  quacks  for  cure. 
r  tell  him  I  am  in  good  health;  and  he,  thinkinof 


V 


60  PHYSICIANS   AND   QUACKS 

himself  able  to  make  an  examination  of  my  physical 
condition,  finds  that  my  heart,  liver,  lungs,  brain, 
kidneys,  nervous  system,  etc.,  are  healthy;  why, 
then,  should  he  give  me  any  medicine?  He  might 
as  well  give  medicine  to  prevent  the  habit  of  swear- 
ing, or  picking  the  nose,  as  to  give  a  healthy  person 
medicine  for  the  cure  of  any  habit.  Of  course, 
when  there  is  an  abnormal  condition  of  any  organ, 
or  of  the  nervous  system,  it  becomes  necessary  to 
use  remedies  for  relief.  This  quack  boasts  of  hav- 
ing a  secret  remedy  for  the  purpose  of 
strengthening  the  will-power.  How  can  he 
tell  what  is  involved?  Habit  means  custom, 
fixed  custom,  not  an  entity;  and  as  it  may 
not  cause  any  perverted  condition  of  nervous  tissue 
or  of  any  organ,  its  treatment  under  those  circum- 
stances, is  the  sheerest  nonsense.  Why  not  take 
a  little  medicine  for  the  habit  of  telling  falsehoods? 
The  giving  of  chloride  of  gold,  or  a  preparation  of 
strychnine,  to  a  person  who  is  healthy,  for  the 
"cure"  of  the  whiskey  habit,  is  as  preposterous  as 
dosing  him  with  snake-oil  or  colored  water  as  a 
placebo,  that  is,  a  medicine  intended  only  to  please, 
or  to  make  an  impression.     We  have  many  kinds 


PHYSICIANS   AND   QUACKS  61 

of  myopic  theorists,  who  are  like  the  Hmpet  at- 
tached to  a  rock,  knowing  nothing  of  what  is  going 
on  beyond  their  own  shells  or  habitations.  There 
are  water-curers,  who  go  by  the  name  of  hydro- 
pathists.  They  advertise  that  water  externally  by- 
bathing,  and  water  internally  by  drinking,  is  the 
"summun  bonum"  of  all  remedies.  They  have  ar- 
ranged on  the  premises  a  muddy  walk  or  grass  plot, 
so  that  their  patron  can  enjoy  the  exhilarating  ex- 
ercise of  walking  bare-footed.  To  persons  who  re- 
fuse to  take  exercise  at  home,  or  will  not  obey  the 
orders  of  the  physician,  some  good  is  undoubtedly 
accompHshed  by  a  sojourn  at  one  of  those  establish- 
ments. Many  patients  will  not  take  preparations 
\^  of  magnesia  or  soda  at  home,  but  will  do  so  at  the 
springs. 

The  doctor  who  "cures"  by  ozonized  air,  or  anti- 
septic vapor,  is  another  fashionable  faddist.  The 
delicate  patient,  who  has  a  cough,  and  is  told  that 
he  is  threatened  with  that  dangerous  malady,  con- 
sumption, is  sure  to  rush  to  the  air-doctor.  Instead 
of  informing  such  a  patient  that  the  best  means  of 
relief  is  exercise  in  a  dry  atmosphere  in  the  moun- 
tains of  a  temperate  zone,  where  the  ravages  of  the 


62  PHYSICIANS   AND   QUACKS 

dreaded  microbes  are  rendered  innocuous,  such  a 
one  is  too  often  subjected  to  antiseptic  sprays,  with 
an  atomizer  in  a  close  room.  No  remedy  for  the 
treatment  of  incipient  consumption,  or  a  broken- 
dov/n  nervous  system,  is  so  beneficial  as  chopping 
trees,  if  the  patient  is  strong  enough,  or  engaging  in 
some  lighter  exercise  on  a  dry,  healthy  hilltop, 
with  proper  food,  tonics  and  clothing.  Nothing 
tends  more  to  the  development  of  consumption 
than  dusty  carpets,  darkened  rooms,  and  damp  at- 
mosphere. 

The  cancer-curer,  or  tumor-doctor,  who  will 
guarantee  to  cure,  or  remove  any  cancer  with  per- 
fect safety,  for  ten  or  five  hundred  dollars,  is  a  vam- 
pire and  vulture,  whose  proper  place  for  such  im- 
position is  an  indefinite  term  of  absence  from  the 
community  in  the  penitentiary.  The  mystery  of 
life  makes  its  duration  always  a  matter  of  uncer- 
tainty. None  may  even  lay  claim  to  a  knowledge 
of  its  tenure  for  a  single  hour. 

The  nothing-like-leather,  or  one-cure  doctors, 
and  medical  faddists  of  all  kinds,  are  compared  by 
the  "British  Medical  Journal"  to  the  contestants  in 
sack-races,  to  cricketers  who  play  on  one  leg,  and 


PHYSICIANS   AND   QUACKS  63 

to  performers  of  similar  pseudo-athletic  feats,  in 
that  they  wilfully  live  within   their  powers.     The 
one-legged  cricketers  are  not  in  it  with  the  one-cure 
doctor,  who  "cures"  everything  by  hydropathia,  or 
sends  all  the  consumptives  to  one  place,  to  depend 
entirely  upon  massage,  or  electricity,  or  oxygen,  or 
whatever  may  be  the  fashion  of  the  moment.    Many 
of  these  enthusiasts  are  so  convinced  of  the  truth  of 
some  special  fad  or  other,  that  they  will  not  be  con- 
tented until  they  have  tried  it  on  the  sick.     Some 
will  depend  on  abstinence  from  animal  food,  and 
others  from  alcohol;  while  others  will  consider  the 
exclusive  use  of  vegetables    as    the    only  diet  in 
order  to  reach  longevity.       How  often  are  phys- 
icians flippantly  asked  by  the  patient  what  system 
of  medicine  they  practice?     This  is  an  imputation 
of  doubt  of  the  honesty  and    intelligence    of    the 
physician;  for,  if  he  be  a  man  of  educated  intelli- 
gence, he  will  avail  himself  of  every  known  agency 
possessing  remedial  power. 

There  are  some  who  take  great  pleasure  in  exhib- 
iting in  their  offices  every  form  of  mechanical  ap- 
pliance, to  make  the  world  believe  a  human  being 
is  nothing  more  than  a  complicated  marchine,  and 


64  PHYSICIANS   AND   QUACKS 

that  life  is  to  be  regarded  in  no  other  light  than 
mechanical  force.  Alas,  how  ridiculous!  There 
are  wheels  and  whirligigs  and  electrical  machines  in 
their  offices,  used  more  for  the  purpose  of  playing 
on  the  emotions  of  patients  that  for  the  relief  of  dis- 
ease. (Reference  is  here  made  to  the  toys  of  show- 
men, not  to  proper  medical  and  surgical  mechanical 
appliances  and  instruments.) 

Mrs.  Verdant  consulted  her  family  physician  in 
reference  to  a  swelling,  a  protuberance,  situated  on 
the  nape  of  her  neck,  which  gave  rise  to  consider- 
able pain  and  discomfort.  The  outspoken  and 
truthful  Dr.  Blunt  told  her  it  was  a  ''boil,"  and  re- 
quested her  to  poultice  it  for  a  few  days  and  he 
would  call  and  see  her.  A  number  of  Mrs.  Ver- 
dant's  sympathizing  friends  visited  her,  among 
whom  was  I\Irs.  Touter,  distinguished  as  a  loqua- 
cious lady,  who  believed  in  distributing  each  and 
every  one  of  her  diseased  organs  and  tissues  among 
the  several  specialists  for  treatment.  The  ocuHst 
treated  her  eyes,  the  aurist  examined  her  ears,  the 
gynecologist  her  womb,  the  dermatologist  her  skin. 
With  a  more  minute  division  in  the  near  future, 
probably  the  cerebrumist  will  treat  her  brain,  the 


PHYSICIANS   AND    QUACKS  65 

respiratorist  her  lungs,  and  last  but  not  least,  the 
proctologist  or  rectumlst  will  be  called.     This  pro- 
gressive, up-to-date,  hospital-in-miniature  lady  was 
a  faddist  about  specialism,  and  imagined  her  knowl- 
edge    of     the     human    body     and      of      doctors 
was      very      extensive.       Dr.      Blunt      was      a 
good    and    kindly    physician,    she    said,    but    the 
tumor  doctor,  who  advertised  boldly  in  large  letters 
through  the  press,  that  he  could  cure  all  sorts  of 
tumors,  cancers  and  other  pestiferous  diseases  of 
the  blood,  should  be  consulted,  as  Mrs.  Verdant's 
trouble  was  within  the  sphere  of  his  usefulness  and 
domain.     Accompanied  by  Mrs.  Touter,  Mrs.  Ver- 
dant called  at  the  office  of   the    celebrated    tumor 
specialist,  whose  name  rang  witli  praises   in   the 
newspapers  of  his  wonderful  skill  and  humanitarian 
duty  to  the  afflicted.      After   a   very    careful    and 
minute  examination,  some  of  the  skin  of  the  pro- 
tuberance having  been  gently  scraped  ofif  and  put 
under  the  microscope,  Dr.  Bizness  decided  that  it 
was  an  exceedingly  interesting    case    of    marked 
aggravated  funinculus,  involving  all  the  layers  of 
the  integument,  and  superficial  and  deep  tissues. 
Assuming  a  very  pompous  air,  he  informed  Mrs. 


66  PHYSICIANS   AND    QUACKS 

Verdant  that  she  came  to  him  just  in  time,  as  she 
was  "threatened"  with  blood-poisoning  (our  coun- 
try is  always  threatened  with  a  flood  or  a  cyclone); 
but  by  using  the  medicine  he  ordered,  which  never 
before  failed  to  "cure,"  the  "disease  would  be 
brought  to  the  surface  of  the  body."  She  was  re- 
quested to  call  daily  at  his  office  for  a  week,  in  com- 
pany with  her  kind  friend,  Mrs.  Touter.  "What  a 
pleasant  gentleman  is  this  Dr.  Bizness,  and  how 
learned,"  said  Mrs.  V.  "I  shall  never  forget  your 
kindness,  in  recommending  this  Dr.  Bizness  to  me. 
Dr.  Blunt  is  a  good  doctor,  but  a  little  old-fash- 
ioned, and  not  up-to-date."  Mrs.  Verdant  and  her 
good  adviser  visited  Dr.  Bizness  regularly,  and  at 
last  the  furunculus  (plain  word,  boil)  discharged  its 
pus,  and  Mrs.  V.  was  relieved. 

This  unprincipled  charlatan  received  quite  a  large 
fee  from  Mrs.  Verdant,  while  tlie  kind-hearted  and 
true  physician,  by  faithfully  and  truthfully  doing 
his  duty,  received  scarcely  any  fee  for  his  pro- 
fessional services.  It  was  a  long  time  before  the 
good  Dr.  Blunt  could  remove  the  impression  from 
Mrs.  Verdant's  mind  that  "boil"  and  "furunculus" 
meant  the  same  thing,  and  that  the  danger  in  her 


PHYSICIANS  AND   QUACKS  67 

case  was  extravagantly  exaggerated  by  Dr.  Biz- 
ness,  the  notorious  quack. 

This  is  given  as  an  example  of  the  many  devices 
and  tricks  used  by  irregular  business  specialists,  for 
which  many  foolish  people  have  to  pay  very  dearly. 

Words  are  truly  the  counters  of  wise  men,  but 
the  money  of  fools. 


CHAPTER  III 

PHYSICIANS  AND  FADDISTS 

In  the  conclusion  of  our  remarks  concerning  fads 
and  faddists,  we  may  be  permitted  to  give  our  un- 
varnished conception  and  appreciation  of  their  en- 
tire class. 

A  fad,  in  its  proper  sense,  is  a  novelty,  a  specious 
good.  Like  the  will-o'-the-wisp,  it  flashes  for  a 
while,  and  then  disappears,  because  it  offers  no  real 
permanent  good.  It  has  its  day,  then  passes  away; 
so  it  is  in  fashions,  so  it  is  in  new  remedies,  the  so- 
called  "cure-alls."  Faddists  are  the  originators  or 
abetors  of  fads.  If  fads  did  not  find  their  propaga- 
tors, they  would  soon  collapse.  What  is  the  charac- 
ter of  a  fad?  Novelty  is  its  prime  feature.  If  any- 
one pretends  to  have  discovered  the  "philosopher's 
stone,"  "the  unique,"  the  "sure  cure,"  you  may 
rely  upon  it,  it  is  a  mere  fad — a  pretention 
only.    The    saying    of    a    critic    applies    in    full 

(68) 


PHYSICIANS  AND  FADDISTS  69 

force    to    fads:        "What    is    true   is     not     new; 
what  is  new  is  not  true."     Fads  are  notions  of  cer- 
tain individuals  who  believe  themselves  to  be  the 
discoverers  of  some  desideratum  of  mankind,  of 
some  "cure,"  not  known  to  the  medical  profession. 
As  time  tests  all  things,  so  time  exposes  the  decep- 
tion.    A  fad  lives  on  laudation  in  advertisements, 
and  depends  upon  the  eager  efforts  of  its  venders. 
Until  undeception  comes,  the  pockets  of  the  origin- 
ators   may   be  filled.      Fads    may    pay    well,     but 
do  not  serve  well.     Hence,  let  everyone  beware  of 
an  article  that  is  recommended  by  high  praise,  and 
by  persistent  efforts  to  make  it  acceptable.      The 
mind  of  m^an  is  restless,  it  seeks  for  novelty.     This 
attracts  as  long  as  the  novelty  lasts.     If  it  brings  no 
real  lasting  benefit,  it  soon  "wears  off,"  as  we  say; 
and  the  whole  is  consigned  to  oblivion.     Novelty 
in  apparel  may  be  indulged  in,  but  can  the  same  be 
said  of  novelty  in  medicines?    The  proper  test  of 
these  must  give  the  answer.     And  this  test  by  right 
belongs  to  the  medical  profession,  and  not  to  fad- 
dists and  quacks. 

The  fads  do  not    exist    entirely    with    fad-phy- 
sicians; the  patients  are  often  faddists,  easily  influ- 


70  PHYSICIANS  AND  FADDISTS 

enced  by  foibles.  The  patient,  who  does  not  read 
the  almanacs  to  be  found  in  the  drug  stores,  the 
drug  advertisements  in  the  press,  or  the  circulars 
placed  on  the  door-steps,  but  is  able  to  express  his 
sentiments  without  being  biased  in  his  judgment, 
is  the  most  satisfactory  patient  to  receive  aid  from 
a  physician.  Many  patients,  either  from  reading 
symptoms  of  certain  affections,  or  being  prompted 
by  the  advice  of  neighbors  or  friends,  seem  to  im- 
agine that  they  fully  understand  the  nature  of  their 
maladies.  They  have  not  come  in  the  proper  spirit 
to  consult  a  physician,  but  rather  to  dictate  to  him, 
and  show  off  their  knowledge.  There  are  more 
patients  who  consult  a  doctor  that  seem  determined 
not  to  get  well,  than  there  are  who  are  willing  to 
recover.  They  come  to  a  physician  to  be  medicat- 
ed, and  are  possessed  of  the  idea  that  medicines,  and 
medicines  only,  will  relieve  them.  The  pill,  or  the 
teaspoonful  may  be  administered  regularly,  but  the 
other  important  factors  in  the  treatment  are  often 
neglected.  The  character  of  the  diet,  the  ventila- 
tion of  the  room,  the  cleanliness  of  the  patient  and 
of  the  bed,  plenty  of  water  to  slake  the  thirst,  the 
quietness   of  the   room,   the   exclusion   of  gossipy 


PHYSICIANS  AND  FADDISTS  71 

visitors,  and  many  other  matters  that  are  of  great 
importance,  are  not  deemed  worthy  of  any  consid- 
eration. Many  are  fond  of  adopting  any  mode  of 
treatment  that  seems  peculiar  and  bizarre.  They 
like  to  swallow  the  hose  of  a  stomach  pump,  pro- 
vided the  operation  costs  them  some  money,  in 
preference  to  taking  plenty  of  warm  water  to  wash 
out  their  stomachs,  in  order  that  they  can  boast  of 
the  great  trick  they  have  performed  to  their  gar- 
rulous friends,  and  so  advertise  the  stomach  doctor. 
The  stomach  does  not  require  to  be  washed  out  with 
a  hose,  except  in  rare  cases  of  malignant  disease 
(cancer,  etc.),  and  even  then  permanent  good  re- 
sults are  not  obtained.  Many  patients  are  fond  of 
using  technical  terms,  without  knowing  their  mean- 
ing. They  are  easily  influenced  by  advertisements 
and  high-sounding  names  of  diseases  that  appear 
in  the  newspapers.  The  words,  intestinal  catarrh,  or 
entero  colitis,  which  means  diarrhoea  or  flux,  have 
to  them  a  very  learned  and  awe-inspiring  meaning. 
We  here  give  the  names  and  synonymous  terms 
of  certain  diseases  wliich  can  be  found  in  medical 
books  and  are  sometimes  used  by  physicians:  Inter- 
mittent fever  may  be  called  chills  and  fever;  ma- 


72  PHYSICIANS  AND  FADDISTS 

larial  fever,  fever  and  ague;  malarial  fever  may  also 
be  remittent,  or  bilious  fever,  or  pernicious  inter- 
mittent, known  also  as  congestive  fever,  or  conges- 
tive chills.  Pneumonia  may  be  called  pneumonitis, 
croupous  pneumonia,  interstitial  pneumonia,  single 
or  double  pneumonia,  lobar  pneumonia,  lobular 
pneumonia,  the  latter  called  also  capillary  bron- 
chitis, or  broncho-pneumonia.  Inflammation  of 
the  sac  that  covers  the  lungs  is  called  pleurisy,  or 
pleuritis.  If  the  inflammation  extends  to  the  lungs 
it  is  called  pleuro-pneumonia.  Bronchitis  means  in- 
flammation of  the  tubes  that  lead  to  the  lungs.  It 
may  be  acute,  subacute,  or  chronic;  it  is  also  called 
bronchial  catarrh. 

Inflammation  of  the  liver  may  be  called  hepatitis, 
and  this  presents  many  varieties.  We  may  have 
circumscribed  hepatitis,  or  abscess  of  the  liver, 
diffuse  hepatitis,  interstitial  hepatitis,  or  hobnailed 
liver,  or  nutmeg  liver  (the  liver  of  the  drunkard). 

Then  we  have  the  waxy  liver,  fatty  liver,  etc.  In- 
flammation of  the  brain  is  known  as  cerebritis,  and 
when  the  thin,  soft  transparent  sac  that  covers  it  is 
inflamed,  we  have  meningitis.  Inflammation  of  the 


PHYSICIANS  AND  FADDISTS  73 

kidneys  is  called  nephritis,  or  Bright's  disease;  and 
mumps,  parotiditis. 

Variola  is  smallpox,  varicella  is  chickenpox;  scar- 
let fever  and  scarlatina  mean  the  same  thing.  Many 
people  believe  that  scarlatina  is  a  mild  form  of 
scarlet  fever.  This  is  erroneous.  Dysentery  is 
flux,  or  inflammation  of  the  large  intestine. 

Gastric  catarrh  is  an  aggravated  condition  of 
dyspepsia  or  indigestion. 

Cyananche  tonsillaris  is  quinsy  or  inflammatory 
sore  throat. 

But  why  continue  the  list?  It  really  astonishes 
physicians  the  interest  people  take  in  the  names  of 
their  ailments,  without  comprehending  the  nature 
or  gravity  of  them. 

"What  do  you  read,  my  lord?"  "The  words! 
Words!    Words!" 

Pascal  truly  says:  "The  world  is  satisfied  with 
words;  few  care  to  dive  beneath  the  surface." 

There  is  a  class  of  patients  known  as  the  intro- 
spection variety,  who  worry  the  doctor,  and  are  al- 
ways sad  and  miserable.  They  are  continually 
thinking  of  themselves,  what  they  should  eat,  drink 


74  PHYSICIANS  AND  FADDISTS 

and  wear.     They  carefully  watch  the  thermometer 
so  that  the  room  may  always  present  an  equable 
temperature.     They     would    like    to    eat    certain 
dishes,  but  having  read  the  opinion  of  some  distin- 
guished scientist  in  a  newspaper,  they  dread  the 
terrible    bacilli    that    infest    the    oyster,     and     the 
ptomaines  that  have  been  surely  found  in  the  milk. 
One  of  this  class  is  worried  and  ill,  because  ,the  tips 
of  his  ears  have  an  itching  sensation  or  are  cold  at 
night.     He  reads  everything  that  appears  in  the 
papers  about  microbes,  bacilli,    germs,    antisepsis 
(confusion  worse  confounded),  so  that  he  lives  in  a 
straight-jacket  standard  of  health,  from  which,  ow- 
ing to  his  prudish  manner  and  his  morbid,  nervous 
condition,  he  cannot  extricate  himself.     He  is  con- 
tinually annoyed  about  the  character  of  bath  he 
should  take,  whether  a  Russian  bath,  a  Turkish 
bath,  a  hot,  tepid  bath  or  a  cold  bath,  a  milk  bath 
or  a  wine  bath.     He  will  seek  the  ''masseur/'  as 
he  has  learned  that  massage  (kneading  and  rub- 
bing) is  a  great  remedy  for  those  who  will  not  take 
exercise,  but  are  not  too  lazy  to  lie  down  and  be 
rubbed.    He  is  charmed  with  the  electrical  doctor, 
and  praises   the  advantages  that  he  has   derived 


PHYSICIANS  AND  FADDISTS  75 

from  the  "shocks"  of  an  electrical  machine.  He 
is  an  unfortunate  patient,  with  little  or  nothing  the 
matter  with  him.  His  condition  may  be  classed  as 
that  of  chronic  morbidity. 

There  is  quite  a  number  of  malingerers  or  im- 
posters,  who  make  the  rounds  of  dispensaries  and 
hospitals  for  the  purpose  of  gratifying  their  taste 
for  morphine  or  alcohol,  by  misrepresenting  their 
symptoms.     They  will  feign  pain  or  colic,  knowing 
that  opium  or  morphine  is  used  frequently  for  its 
relief.     They  will  beg  for  a  tonic  in  liquid  form  for 
the  alcohol  it  contains.     Many  of  this  class  are  af- 
flicted with  "hospitalism,"  that  is,  remaining  in  a 
hospital  without  exhibiting  any  evidence  of  disease, 
so  that  it  would  require  the  lever  of  Archimedes  to 
move  them  away  from  there.     The  morphine  fiend 
is  very  much  in  evidence  in  our  cities  at  the  present 
day.    No  class  of  sufferers  excites  our  sympathy  so 
much  as  those  unfortunate  slaves  to  the  morphine 
habit.     Instead  of  being  accosted  on  the  street  for 
a  dime  to  get  a  drink,  we  often  meet  the  chronic 
morphine-user  with  pale,  muddy  skin,  haggard  ex- 
pression,  contracted   pupils   and    shambling    gait, 
begging  us  for  money  with  which  to  purchase  mor- 


76  PHYSICIANS  AND  FADDISTS 

phine.  We  have  known  instances  of  the  most  cul- 
tured ladies,  v/ho  had  Hved  in  affluence,  afterwards 
reduced  to  such  a  pitiful  condition  through  this 
crushing  and  blighting  habit,  that  they  stood  on 
the  street  corner  with  their  hands  stretched  out  for 
pennies  with  which  they  might  procure  the  baneful 
drug.  Alas!  how  often  is  the  pleasing  doctor  to 
blame  for  promoting  and  encouraging  the  fascinat- 
ing habrt  by  the  unnecessary  use  of  morphine  given 
by  the  hypodermic  syringe,  or  by  the  mouth,  sim- 
ply because  some  patients  demanded  a  sleep-pro- 
ducing or  pain-relieving  medicine!  The  hypo- 
dermic syringe  is  getting  to  be  a  dangerous,  popu- 
lar household  commodity,  especially  in  high-strung 
and  fashionable  families.  It  should  never  be  used, 
except  in  the  hands  of  a  physician.  The  victim  of 
the  morphine  or  cocaine  habit  seems  to  be  In  a 
more  depraved  and  irretrievable  condition,  usually, 
than  his  brother  in  misery,  who  is  in  the  toils  of 
alcohol. 

There  are  many  sick  people  who  are  willing  to  be 
"doctored"  by  anybody,  rather  than  be  treated  by 
a  physician.  They  will  enter  a  drugstore  and  in- 
quire of  the  druggist,  "What  is  good  for  a  cough  or 


PHYSICIANS  AND  FADDISTS  77 

a  headache?"  The  druggist  may  give  the  following 
list  of  remedies  that  may  relieve  headache,  but  will, 
in  many  instances,  injure  the  constitution.  There 
are  antipyrine,  antifebrine,  phenacetin,  acetanilid, 
citrate  of  caffeine,  bromide  of  potash,  bromide  of 
soda,  bromide  of  lithium,  chloral  hydrate,  sulphate 
of  morphia,  muriate  of  morphia,  acetate  of  morphia, 
salicylate  of  soda,  belladonna,  aconite,  camphor, 
hyoscyamine,  guarana,  cannabis,  indica,  phosphate 
of  soda,  bicarbonate  of  soda,  sulphate  of  magnesia, 
sulphate  of  quinia,  salol,  menthol,  etc.,  etc. 

Besides  this  Hst,  there  are  hundreds  of  patent 
nostrums,  with  alluring  pictures  and  tastily  written 
certificates  from  distinguished  public  men  of  the 
country,  endorsing  any  and  every  remedy,  no  mat- 
ter how  opposed  to  science  or  common  sense. 

4,  11,  14,  44;  lottery  luck:  you  pay  your  money, 
and  you  take  your  choice.  A  veritable  lottery  on 
life!  The  great  lottery  drawings  of  the  world  will 
give  a  list  of  the  few  big  prizes  that  are  won,  but  the 
names  of  the  thousands  who  did  not  succeed  in  get- 
ting anything  arc  not  intended  to  be  known  by  the 
emotional  and  foolish  creatures  who  invest  their 
money  in  such  gambling  schemes.     And  so  it  is 


78  PHYSICIANS  AND  FADDISTS 

with  patent  medicines.  The  multitude,  whose  con- 
stitutions are  really  injured  or  who  received  no  ben- 
efit whatever  from  these  nostrums,  are  never  heard 
from.  After  what  we  have  already  said  in  reference 
to  the  importance  of  ascertaining  the  cause  of  the 
headache,  which  it  takes  the  physician,  who  has 
studied  anatomy,  physiology  and  the  other  alHed 
branches  of  medicine,  and  not  the  druggist,  to  de- 
tect; how  ridiculous,  then,  and  how  dangerous  to 
tamper  with  such  agents,  which,  when  properly  and 
intelligently  used,  are  efficacious,  but  otherwise 
may  result  in  the  most  serious  consequences.  Useful 
as  those  remedies  for  headache  are,  it  should  never 
be  forgotten  that  they  do  not  restore  normal  func- 
tions. The  sufferer  from  headache  must  not  im- 
agine that  he  is  "curing"  his  headache  by  taking 
such  things;  he  is  only  saving  himself  from  some 
of  its  effects;  and,  unless  radical  measures  are  taken 
to  prevent  the  recurrence  of  the  disorder,  he  will 
find  that  this  dose  of  anodyne  has  to  be  repeated 
more  and  more  frequently,  and  with  increasingly 
disastrous  effects  to  his  general  health.  Perhaps 
one  of  the  most  important  points  in  the  treatment 
of  many  painful  affections  is  to  ascertain  when  to 


PHYSICIANS  AND  FADDISTS  79 

give  and  when  not  to  give  opium  or  any  of  its  prep- 
arations such  as  laudanum,  paregoric,  morphia,  etc. 
Many  a  patient  fatally  succumbed  to  la  grippe  by 
the  injudicious  use  of  morphia  or  antipyrine,  ad- 
ministered for  the  relief  of  pain,  without  an  intelli- 
gent examination  of  the  heart  and  lungs,  which 
might  interdict  its  use.  In  weak  conditions  of  the 
heart,  or  in  certain  affections  of  the  lungs,  a  full 
dose  of  opium  may  result  in  death.  Pain  in  the 
chest  may  be  due  to  valvular  disease  of  the  heart, 
though  the  sufferer  is  unable  to  realize  his  dano-er- 
ous  condition,  and  the  pain-reliever  may  give  him 
sleep  that  knows  no  awakening.  The  druggist  is 
a  valuable  aid  to  the  physician,  and  each  has  his 
duty  to  perform.  No  honorable  druggist  will  at- 
tempt to  diagnose  disease  and  prescribe  a  remedy. 
The  true  physician  will  always  recognize  the  good 
work  and  great  assistance  he  derives  from  the  noble 
profession  of  pharmacy,  whose  members  exercise 
such  knowledge,  care  and  accuracy,  in  compound- 
ing medicinal  agents  and  filling  prescriptions. 

Narcotics  and  hypnotics  (sleep-producing  and 
pain-relieving  remedies),  when  not  properly  admin- 
istered, engender  a  condition  which  is  immeasur- 


80  PHYSICIANS  AND  FADDISTS 

ably  more  difficult  to  overcome  than  the  disease 
for  the  relief  of  which  they  may  have  been  taken. 
They  bring  about  a  seductive  allurement.  Fre- 
quent indulgence  leads  to  habit,  and  that  increases 
the  necessity  of  larger  and  therefore  more  harmful 
doses,  taken  in  order  to  produce  the  increasingly 
desired  effect.  The  patient  is  in  danger  of  suffer- 
ing complete  physical  wreck,  or  of  lapsing  into 
a  condition  of  bodily  weakness  that  may  render  him 
more  liable  to  succumb  to  that  which  would  be, 
imder  more  favorable  circumstances,  a  slight  illness 
or  temporary  disorder. 

Self-medication,  by  the  use  of  morphia,  chloral, 
and  remedies  suggested  by  advertisements  in  the 
daily  papers,  have  cost  far  more  lives  every  year  in 
this  country,  than  the  whole  carnage  inflicted  dur- 
ing the  recent  war  with  Spain  and  the  Philippines. 
How  foolish  and  dangerous  it  is  to  try,  and  keep  on 
trying,  remedies  prescribed  by  persons  who  are  not 
qualified  for  such  service!  Valuable  time  is  lost, 
and  a  mild  affection,  that  could  be  easily  relieved 
by  using  the  best  remedies  at  first,  may  be  changed 
by  maltreatment,  into  a  chronic  and  perhaps  an  in- 
curable affection. 


PHYSICIANS  AND  FADDISTS  81 

"From  random  files  a  recipe  they  take, 
And  many  deaths  with  one  prescription  make." 
"Blood  remedies,"  particularly  in  the  spring  of 
the  year,  seem  to  be  in  great  favor  at  almost  every 
drugstore.    The  girl  vrlth  the  pimply  face  (acne),  or 
the  baby  with  eczema  (tetter  or  scald  head),  or  the 
patient  with  a  skin  disease,  due  to  indigestion,  fre- 
quently imbibe  those  noxious  draughts  of  so-called 
"blood-purifiers."    A  great  many  people  believe  it 
is  imperatively  necessary  for  them  to   take   some 
preparation  of  sassafras,  sarsaparilla,  or  some  com- 
pound or  decoction  of  "  roots  and  yarbs"  each  year, 
in  order  to  clean  or  purify  the  blood.     How  ridicu- 
lous!    What  is  the  trouble  v;ith  the  blood?    :\Iany 
affections  of  the  skin  are  due  to  local  causes,  and 
there  is  no  efficacy  whatever  in  sarsaparilla  as  a 
blood  medicine.     A  great  deal    of    injury  is  often 
done  by  people  dosing  themselves  with  such  prep- 
arations without  understanding  why  they   should 
take  them.    The  skin  affection  due  to  scrofula,  re- 
quires different  treatment  from  the  skin  affection 
due  to  malaria  or  a  disordered  stomach,  or  syph- 
ilis; and  the  physician  alone  is  qualified  to  prescribe 
the  proper  remedy. 


62  PHYSICIANS  AND  FADDISTS 

The  nerve  medicines,  or  remedies  for  the  nervous 
system,  are  now  used  more  and  more  by  persons 
who  do  not  understand  anything  whatever  about 
the  nervous  system  or  its  needs.  It  is  to  be  hoped 
the  day  will  soon  come  when  all  persons  without  a 
knowledge  of  the  science  and  practice  of  medicine 
will  be  prevented  from  prescribing  remedial  agents. 
The  great  showman,  Barnum,  has  truly  said  that 
the  American  people  like  to  be  humbugged.  How 
fortunate  it  would  be  for  humanity  if  the  tons  of 
headache  powders,  the  barrels  of  blood-purifiers, 
and  the  hogsheads  of  liver  pills,  were  thrown  into 
the  sea,  rather  than  into  the  stomachs  of  people  by 
men  who  scarcely  know  the  name  of  a  bone  or 
muscle,  or  the  function  of  a  single  organ  of  the 
body! 

The  principal  ingredient  in  the  blood-purifiers, 
the  nervine  tonics  and  appetizers  that  are  advertised, 
is  alcohol,  which  often  becomes  the  teetotaller's 
tipple;  and  the  cough  remedies,"  and  ''quick 
cures"  contain  opium,  whose  alluring  dose  not  in- 
frequently leads  the  victim  to  morphinomania. 

Our  gambling  propensities,  as    a    nation,    are 
shown  in  the  worst  light  when  we  gamble  on  our 


PHYSICIANS  AND  FADDISTS  83 

lives.     The  digestive  tract  appears  to  be  a  slot  ma- 
chine, into  which  its  possessor  takes  pleasure  in 
thrusting  any  preparation  with  a  euphonious  name, 
suggested  for  the  ''cure"  of  diseases  in  newspapers, 
in  circulars  on  our  door-steps,   on  posters   on   the 
dead  walls  of  cities,  in  the  street  cars,  in  the  saloons, 
on  the  fences  along  the  lines  of  travel — yea,  even  on 
the  mountain-tops,  to  delude  the  healthy,  or  seek- 
ers of  health,  from  enjoying  the  advantages  of  such 
a  salutary  region.  A  morbid,  hysterical  condition  of- 
ten results  in  many  people  from  reading  and  study- 
ing flaming  and  picturesque  notices  regarding  their 
nerves,  livers,  hearts,  kidneys,  etc.    Laboring  under 
the  delusion  of  being  ill,  thousands  will  unneces- 
sarily take  drugs  without  consulting  a  physician, 
try  tKeir  luck  in  "cures,"  as  they  would  in  cards  at 
the  faro  table,  and  become  dyspeptics,  drunkards 
and  nervous  wrecks   in   consequence.     Instead   of 
obtaining  the  best  remedies  and  advice  from  those 
qualified  by  education  and   experience  to  bestow 
them,  people  will  pour  drugs  of  which  they  know 
little,  into  a  body  about  which  they  know  less,  and 
will  try,  and  keep  on  trying  their  luck,  as  long  as 
the  pleasing  advertisements  appear,  to  be  changed 


r 

84  PHYSICIANS  AND  FADDISTS 

only  when  a  more  alluring-  picture  and  catchy  tes- 
timonial of  a  sure  "cure"  presents  itself. 

We  have  quite  a  number  of  people  in  this  boasted 
age  of  civilization,  who  "believe  and  have  faith"  in 
ridiculous  means  of  "curing"  disease,  that  are  on 
a  plane  with  the  intelligence  displayed  by  the 
fetich-worshipers  of  Africa.  They  "believe"  that 
spiders's  webs  will  "cure"  malaria.  They  "beHeve" 
that  slippery  elm  tea  given  to  a  woman  in  confine- 
ment will  induce  smooth  and  easy  labor.  They  "be- 
lieve" that  asafoetida  worn  on  a  child's  neck  v/ill 
"cure"  whooping  cough.  They  "beHeve"  that 
belladonna  given  to  a  child  will  prevent  scarlet  fe- 
ver. They  "believe"  that  keeping  a  pan  of  hot  water 
under  the  patient's  bed  relieves  typhoid  fever  and 
night  sweats.  They  "beheve"  that  lifting  a  child 
with  one  hand  under  the  chin  and  the  other  under 
the  back  portion  of  the  head  will  "  cure"  the  palate 
when  it  is  down  (thickened  or  elongated  uvula,  I 
presume,  is  meant). 

They  "believe"  that  zinc  rings  will  "  cure"  rheu- 
matism. They  "believe"  that  killing  the  dog  that  bit 
the  child  will  prevent  the  child  from  having  hydro- 
phobia.   They  "believe"  that  liver  pads  and  electric 


^ ; 


« •  <^ « I  • 


PHYSICIANS  AND  FADDISTS  85 

belts  will  "cure"  diseases  of  the  liver,  and  nervous- 
ness.   They  "believe"  that  decomposed  urine  taken 
internally  is  a  remedy  for  diphtheria.  They^believe" 
that  the  tomato  causes  cancerous  growths.     They 
"believe"   that  red-clover  will   "cure"   cancer  and 
scrofula.     (Red  clover,  celery  and  sarsaparilla  have 
no  therapeutic  value).  They  "believe"  that  the  blood 
of  a  black  cat  taken  from  the  cat's  tail  and  smeared 
on  the  part  affected  will  "cure"  the  shingles.    They 
"believe"  that  toads,  either  alive  or  dry,  laid  on  the 
back  of  the  neck  will  stop  bleeding  of  the  nose. 
They  "believe"  that  a  child  born  with  a  caul  or  am- 
nion over  its  face  will  be  eloquent;  and  many  a 
sailor  "believes"  that,  having  a  caul  in  his  posses- 
sion, he  is  protected  from  drowning.  They  "believe" 
that    carrying    a   potato    or    a    buckeye     in    the 
pocket     will    "cure"    the    ague.      They  "believe" 
that    angler's    worms     and     snake     oil     are    the 
best    agents    to    make    the    joints    supple.      They 
"believe"  that  eelskins    tied     around     the    wrists, 
or  ants  steeped  in  whiskey  and  applied,  and  the 
sting  of  bees,  are   sure   "cures"   for  rheumatism. 
They  "believe"  that  a  boil  bursts  within  the  stomach 


86  PHYSICIANS  AND  FADDISTS 

and  that  they  have  a  bile  on  Iheir  arm.  They  "be- 
lieve" that  the  top  of  the  head  should  be  rubbed 
when  a  child  is  choked.  They  "believe"  that  carry- 
ing loadstone  will  bring  about  love.  They  "believe" 
in  love  powders.  They  "believe"  that  trimming  the 
nails  on  Friday  will  keep  away  the  toothache.  They 
"believe"  that  a  madstone  will  draw  out  the  poison 
of  a  snake  bite.  They  "believe"  that  the  baby  should 
be  weaned  when  the  moon  is  full,  and  also  that  the 
hair  should  be  cut  for  good  luck  in  the  light  ot 
the  moon.  They  "believe"  that  piercing  the  child's 
ears  will  cure  its  sore  eyes.  They  will  follow  the 
-electric  lamplighter  for  the  pieces  of  burned  carbon 
he  throws  away,  and  "believe"  that  having  some  of 
it  in  their  pockets,  will  prove  a  "sure  cure"  for 
rheumatism. 

Scrofula  (consumption)  v/as  formerly  called  the 
King's  evil,  and  is  caused  by  bad  food,  impure  air 
and  filthy  surroundings.  It  was  supposed  to  be 
"cured"  by  the  touch  of  the  King's  hand.  During 
the  reign  of  Louis  XlVth,  and  also  of  Louis  XVth, 
of  France,  thousands  of  people  suffering  with 
skin  affections  and  ulcers,  which  were  considered 


PHYSICIANS  AND  FADDISTS  87 

to  be  scrofulous  in  their  nature,  were  presented  ev- 
ery week  to  the  King  for  his  royal  touch. 

Bacon  truly  says:  ''Witches  and  impostors  have 
always  held  a  competition  with  physicians." 

The  following  examples  show  some  of  the  diffi- 
culties with  which  the  druggist  has  to  contend  in 
deciphering  notes  and  requests  of  the  foolish  but 
confident  self-prescriber.  The  school-master  is  still 
abroad.  We  give  verbatim  et  literatim,  some 
things  that  have  been  asked  for  in  a  drug  store. 
They  are  remarkable  pieces  of  Hterary  bric-a-brac. 

Lum  bar  wax  (lump  borax  was  intended). 

New  laded  ting  iron  (tincture  of  iron  was  meant). 

Brokx  5c,  cienpiper  5c,  mixed,  (borax  and  cay- 
enne pepper). 

5c  of  cinner  and  sauce  mixed,  (senna  and  salts). 

Roachschell  salse,  (rochelle  salts). 

Collumby  root,  (columba  root). 

Carpenter's  soda,  (carbonate  of  soda). 

Plaster  past,  (plaster  of  Paris). 

Prepared  chawk,  (prepared  chalk). 

Five  cents  unyeast  drops,  (essence  of  anise,  or 
anise  drops). 

City  of  iron,  (citrate  of  iron). 


88  PHYSICIANS  AND  FADDISTS 

Alleway,  (aloes). 

Spepscine  (pepsine). 

Cawerty  pills,  (cathartic  pills). 

Compound    catolic    pills,    (compound    cathartic 

pills). 

Gleisken  and  burgamont,  (glycerine  and  berga- 

mot). 

Five  cents  myran,  (myrrh). 

Brox  5c  (borax),  one  ounce  perevene  barke  (per- 
uvian  bark). 

Gemake  genger  (Jamaica  ginger). 

Brazilian  salve,  (basilicon  ointment). 

Plester  pres,  (plaster  of  Paris). 

Arrugut,  (ergot). 

One  hotel  of  maenacies  water,  (magnesia  water). 

Dousmiaga,  (Dews'  mixture). 

Byrn  Wright  pills,  (Brandeith's  pills). 

Cradeotchers  solts,  (Craborchard  salts). 

Phruborb  with  a  small  piece  of  alice  in  it,  (rhu- 
barb and  aloes). 

Ten  cents  tatriugaric,  (paregoric). 

Please  give  him  beesswaxs,  (Bees  wax). 

Red  dy,  (red  dye). 

Send  me  twenty-five  sence  of  arnickeny,  (arnica). 


PHYSICIANS  AND  FADDISTS  89 

I  want  a  kniple  that  a  chils  suck  milk  of  a  bottle, 
(rubber  nipple). 

Acofidety  piles  five  cents  worth,  (asafoetida  pills). 

Pleas  doctor  give  my  sun  something  to  stop  the 
chills,  as  he  is  verry  sick  with  them,  and  as  I  am 
not  able  to  go  With  him  I  have  a  little  Bebey  boy 
one  week  old. 

Pleas  doctor  give  my  boy  sothing  that  Will  mak 
him  strong,  and  may  thanks. 

Ten  cents,  one  cak  black  permade,  (pomade). 

Five  cents  Ciene  ointment,  (zinc  ointment). 

Jack  of  Clubs  Perfume,  (Jockey  Club  Perfume). 

Curious  ointment,  (mercurial  ointment). 

Syrup  of  Idiotic  acid,  (hydriodic  acid). 

Five  cents'  worth  Onit  Ascit,  (Oxalic  Acid). 

i  cien  Moss,  (Iceland  moss). 

God  Fred  Chargle,  (Godfrey's  Cordial). 

Five  cents  worth  Red  Perifity,  (red  precipitate). 

Linicede  Oil  5  cents,  (linseed  oil). 

Tutturephine  o  cents,  (turpentine). 

Akernight  10  cents,  (aconite). 

Ten  cents  beewax  yellow.  Ten  cents  rossem, 
(bees  wax  and  rosin). 


90  PHYSICIANS  AND  FADDISTS 

Ten  cents  hotel  of  cresue  for  toothake,  (creasote 
for  toothache). 

Druggist, 

Please  be  so  kind  and  give  this  boy  the  medcine 
witch  to  cure  this  pain  after  every  meal.  I  have 
got  pain  on  the  stomach  like  their  Is  a  hevy  piece 
of  irun  lying  their,  and  i  am  always  spithing  up 
slime. 

Piece  let  bearer  Hafe  one  pount  of  gum. 

i  want  oil  of  limen,  (oil  of  lemons). 

I  would  like  to  have  five  cents  worth  Kain  pepper 
(cayenne  pepper). 

For  ten  cents  Ruba  and  salac  mixed,  (intended, 
I  presume,  for  rhubarb  and  soda). 

Sena  rhubarb  sarsapaphilla,  wild  cherry  bark, 
and  alois,  (senna,  rhubarb,  sarsaparilla,  wild  cherry 
bark,  and  aloes). 

Above  all  Price  of  Wealth. 
The  body's  jewel!    Not  for  minds  or  hands  profane 
To  tamper  with  in  practice  vain; 
Like  to  a  woman's  virtue,  is  man's  health — 
A  heavenly  gift  within  a  holy  shrine — 
To  be  approached  and  touched  with  i;erious  fear 


PHYSICIANS  AND  FADDISTS  91 

By  hands  made  pure  and  hearts  of  faith  severe, 
E'en  as  the  priesthood  of  the  One  Divine. 
Rate  of  Pulse 

The  following  is  the  rate  of  pulse  at  different 
ages  : 

^S^^'  Beats  per  minute. 

Child  in  the  womb 130  to  150 

New  born  infant 130  to  140 

During  1st  year 115  to  130 

During  2nd  year 100  to  115 

During  3rd  year 95  to  105 

7th  to  14th  year 80  to     90 

14th  to  21st  year 75  to     85 

21  St  to  60th  year 70  to    75 

In  old  age 75  to     65 

Temperatnre 

98JF  and  99F— Health. 

99  to  100— Slight  fever. 

100  to    103 — Fever — as   temperature   only,   not 
alarming. 

103  to  105— Alarming,  patient  requires  sponging 
or  bathinf^. 

106  and  over — Generally  fatal. 

In  twenty-eight  years'  active  practice,  we  have 


93  PHYSICIANS  AND  FADDISTS 

observed  only  two  cases  with  temperature  over  108 
degrees,  recover, 

Measures 

A  teaspoonful  measures  usually  1  Dram  (31  or 
60  drops). 

Dessertspoonful  makes  2  Drams. 

Tablespoonful  makes  4  Drams  or  a  half  ounce. 

8  teaspoonfuls  make  4  dessertspoonfuls  or  2  table- 
spoonfuls  make  one  ounce. 

16  ounces  make  1  pint. 

Weight 

20  grains  make  1  Scruple. 

3  Scruples  make  1  Drachm. 

8  Drachms  make  1  ounce. 

Bales  of  Health 

The  head  keep  cool ;  the  feet  keep  warm. 

By  eating,  drinking,  do  no  harm. 

Excess,  not  work,  avoid  with  care. 

Seek  often  sunshine  and  fresh  air. 

Be  not  afraid  of  bracing  cold. 

In  temperature  the  medium  hold. 

This  benefit  by  dress  achieve; 

By  dress  the  heat  and  cold  relieve. 

Have  care  the  bowels  open  keep. 


PHYSICIANS  AjND  FADDISTS  03 

Take  time  to  rest,  take  time  to  sleep. 

Your  mind  have  peace;  your  heart  have  joy; 

Let  nothing  ever  these  destroy. 

Keep  clean  the  body,  clear  the  mind; 

For  precious  health  are  both  designed. 

Remember  well  that  cleanliness 

Is  held  akin  to  godliness. 

Contract  no  habits^  low  and  mean, 

Which  are,  alas!  too  often  seen. 

Good  morals,  too,  conducive  are 

To  normal  health,  which  vices  mar. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

THE  TRUE  PHYSICIAN 

It  is  said  that  the  blunders  of  the  weak  are  short- 
lived, but  a  false  theory  with  a  semblance  of  nature 
stuck  in  the  midst  of  genius  often  deceives  the 
learned  and  passes  current  through  the  world. 
Only  a  few  years  ago,  the  ridiculous  idea  prevailed 
that  the  injection  of  sulphuretted  hydrogen  (offen- 
sive gas)  was  a  sure  cure  for  consumption.  But  its 
reign  was  brief,  and  the  gas-bags  were  soon  quietly 
laid  aside.  General  Pleasanton  of  Pennsylvania, 
several  years  ago,  popularized  the  manufacture  of 
blue-glass  as  a  paying  industry,  by  representing  it 
as  a  "cure"  for  rheumatism,  when  the  afifected  part 
of  the  body  was  subjected  to  the  action  of  the  sun's 
rays  passing  through  the  glass.  No  house  was  con- 
sidered up  to  the  proper  sanitary  standard  without 
its  blue-glass  windows,  at  which  those  afflicted  with 
the  painful  joints  and  sore  muscles  sat  for  hours 

(94) 


THE  TRUE  PHYSICIAN  05 

enjoying  the  "curative"  properties  of  a  "blue  sun 
bath."  The  glass  factories  flourished  for  a  while, 
but  the  sun-bathers  got  tired  of  making  themselves 
ridiculous;  the  windows  assumed  their  former  ap- 
pearance, and  the  translucent  fad  soon  became  a 
thing  of  the  past.  The  "cure"  for  consumption, 
the  great  plague  of  the  human  race,  has  been  as 
fertile  a  field  for  visionary  theorists  with  "sure 
cures,"  as  the  ignus  fatuus  of  perpetual  motion. 

Notwithstanding  all  the  specifics  for  the  relief 
of  the  great  exterminator  of  the  people  that  have 
sought  recognition  in  the  medical  world,  we  are 
forced  to  state  that  no  better  means  for  the  preven- 
tion, nor  remedies  for  the  relief  of  consumption  have 
been  found  to  be  more  effective  than  the  following: 

First,  the  diet  should  consist  of  milk  and  meat 
that  have  been  cooked  well  done,  with  a  good  varie- 
ty of  vegetables,  and  fresh  fruits  in  season. 

Secondly,  a  dry  mountain  atmosphere  with 
proper  out-door  exercise,  and  as  much  time  as 
possible  spent  in  the  open  air.  The  sleeping  apart- 
ment of  a  consumptive  must  receive  plenty  of  fresh 
air  at  all  times.  The  expectoration  should  be  re- 
ceived in  paper  spitoons  and  burned.     If  handker- 


06  TH'B  TRUE  PHYSICIAN 

chiefs  or  cloths  are  used,  they  should  be  thoroughly 
boiled  in  order  to  destroy  the  germs.  If  cuspidors 
are  used,  a  solution  of  corrosive  sublimate  (bi- 
chloride of  mercury)  in  the  proportion  of  a  drachm 
to  a  gallon  of  water  should  be  used.  The  clothing 
and  bedding  of  the  patient  should  not  be  permitted 
to  be  used  by  others;  they  should  be  destroyed  by 
cremation.  All  furniture  should  be  washed  with 
a  cloth  dipped  in  the  solution  above  mentioned. 
No  dishes  or  glasses  that  have  been  used  by  the 
patient  should  be  utilized  again  without  being  well 
boiled.  It  should  be  remembered  that  all  germs 
are  killed  by  boiling.  Proper  nutrition,  and  an 
atmosphere  containing  ozone  which  cannot  usually 
be  obtained  in  cities  but  is  found  in  elevated  regions, 
are  the  great  measures  of  relief.  Medication,  such  as 
tonics  and  constnictives  to  build  up  the  system, 
administered  by  direction  of  the  physician  only, 
should  be  employed.  Germicides,  Introduced  into 
the  system  for  the  purpose  of  killing  the  germs  that 
are  said  to  produce  the  disease,  have  not  yet  yielded 
any  good  results. 

It  must  be  remembered  that  diseases  may  be 
transmitted  by  kissing,  especially  upon  the  mouth. 


THE  TRUE  PHYSICIAN  97 

Pure  air  and  sunlight  are  more  necessary  to  health 
than  any  medicine.  It  is  very  important  that  base- 
ments, cellars,  and  walls  of  all  dwellings  be  dry. 
A  mother  who  has  consumption  should  not  nurse 
her  babe,  as  the  disease  may  be  transmitted  to  the 
child.  A  visit  to  a  person  suffering  with  consump- 
tion should  be  as  brief  as  possible;  and  there  is 
greater  danger  of  the  disease  being  communicated 
in  a  badly  ventilated  room,  a  crowded  car,  or  steam- 
boat. The  room  in  which  a  consumptive  has  died 
should  be  well  ventilated  and  thoroughly  disin- 
fected, before  it  is  again  occupied.  If  one's  parents 
have  died  of  consumption,  it  is  important  that  an 
outdoor  occupation,  free  as  possible  from  dust, 
should  be  selected,  and  a  dwelling  house  having 
living  and  sleeping  room  freely  ventilated  and  ex- 
posed to  direct  sunlight.  In  selecting  a  husband  or 
wife,  choose  one,  if  possible,  free  from  any  inherited 
organic  taint.  Be  afraid  of  the  dyspeptic  and 
rheumatic,  as  well  as  of  the  neurotic.  The  jphysi- 
cally  weak  are  very  rarely  strong  mentally.  Weak 
points  In  parents  are  usually  worse  in  the 
progeny.  Dyspeptics  are  never  bright  and  cheer- 
ful.    Their  children  are  apt   to  develop   weak    in- 


98  THE  TRUE  PHYSICIAN 

tellectual  natures,  especially  melancholic  ten* 
dencies,  leading  to  some  form  of  mental  irrespon- 
sibility, ending  in  crime,  insanity,  or  suicide. 

The  true  physician  recognizes  no  system  of 
medicine,  nor  will  he  attempt  to  treat  a  patient 
without  ascertaining  as  far  as  possible  the  cause 
of  the  ailment,  and  devote  his  attention  to  its  re- 
moval. He  will  use  any  and  every  remedy, 
whether  in  the  animal,  vegetable,  or  mineral  king- 
dom, which,  in  accordance  with  reason  and  exper- 
ience, may  prove  useful. 

Whether  the  dose  be  a  drop  or  a  quart,  is  of  no 
importance  provided  the  action  of  the  medicine  and 
the  object  to  be  gained  are  constantly  kept  in  view. 
The  rational  physician  is  attached  to  no  "pathy.** 
He  quietly  attends  his  patients  and  avoids  notoriety 
or  publicity  in  the  newspapers.  He  will  carefully 
avoid  using  the  word  "cure."  He  will  do  all  that 
science,  pure  and  true,  requires  of  him.  While 
inspiring  his  patients  with  hope,  he  will  never  try 
to  induce  them  to  believe  that  he  has  a  sure  ''cure/' 
but  will  guard  carefully  against  serious  complica- 
tions in  even  the  most  trivial  ailments.  He  vi^ill 
study  the  temperament  and  constitution  of  the  pa- 


THE  TRUE  PHYSICIAN  99 

tient  he  is  attending,  and  treat  the  condition  ex- 
isting, without  paying  much  attention  to  nomen- 
clature (name)  of  disease.    It  would  appear  in  the 
minds  of  many  that  the  name  of  the  disease  is  all- 
important.  Such  is  not  the  case.    Take  for  instance, 
typhoid  fever.     One  may  have  a  walking  case  of 
this  disease,  that  is  to  say,  the  patient  is  able  to 
walk  around,  and  exhibits  nothing  more  serious 
than  very  slight  fever,  a  feeling  of  lassitude,  or 
fatigue,  and  want  of  appetite.    In  many  such  cases 
no  medicine  whatever  is  required.     Rest  in  bed, 
and  the  avoidance  of  indigestible  food,  are  the  best 
measures  for  safety.    Another  person  with  typhoid 
fever  may  present  a  totally  different  constitutional 
condition;  he  may  have  high  fever,  severe  and  in- 
tractable diarrhoea.      Hence  the  name,  except  in 
a  few  instances,  is  no  criterion  by  which  the  gravity 
of  any  ailment  can  be  judged.    The  true  physician 
will  take  the  same  interest  in  the  poor  unfortunate 
negro  who  lives  in  a  hovel,  so  far  as  his  professional 
services  are  concerned,  as  he  will  in  the  wealthy 
proprietor  of  a  lordly  mansion.     Money,  to  him, 
is  not  the  sole  object  of  his  ambition.     The  ac- 
cumulated experience  he  receives  by  treating  all 


100  THE  TRUE  PHYSICIAN 

classes  of  patients,  and  a  study  of  their  tempera- 
ments, their  hahits,  mode  of  living  and  environ- 
ment, gives  him  knowledge  that  is  valuable,  enab- 
ling him  to  cope  with  the  cause  of  disease,  to  adopt 
measures  of  prevention,  and  to  employ  remedies 
for  relief.  He  is  a  stickler  for  the  code  of  ethics, 
which  means:  "Do  unto  others  as  you  would 
wish  others  to  do  unto  you."  People  generally 
have  a  very  silly  and  incorrect  idea  of  the  ethics 
which  govern  regular  physicians.  It  is  simply 
based  on  the  courtesy  and  fair  dealing  of  physi- 
cians, in  their  relations  to  one  another,  as  well  as 
to  their  patients.  For  instance,  no  physician  will 
prescribe  for,  or  attend,  a  patient  who  is  under  the 
care  of  another  doctor  until  the  services  of  the 
latter  are  discontinued,  or  he  is  called  with  the  for- 
mer in  consultation.  Unfortunately  in  this  age  of 
money-making  by  hook  or  by  crook,  physicians 
are  now  enrolled  in  medical  societies,  who  could 
not  twenty  years  ago  be  deemed  worthy  of  recog- 
nition in  such  organizations.  While  the  true  phy- 
sician believes  tenaciously  in  ''scrubology/'  that  is, 
in  cleanliness  by  the  use  of  pure  water  and  good 
soap,  he  does  not  consider  it  necessary  to  appear 


THE  TRUE  PHYSICIAN  101 

in  antiseptic  habiliments  when  he  opens  an  abscess, 
or  visits  a  patient  afflicted  with  any  of  the  filth 
diseases,  such  as  typhoid-fever,  diphtheria,  etc.  He 
does  not  make  an  impression  on  the  foolish  and 
weak-minded  by  instructing  them  to  use  germicide 
washes  before  and  after  they  eat,  drink,  sneeze  or 
sleep.  His  aim  is  to  conquer  disease,  to  save  hu- 
man life — more  precious  than  house  and  chattels. 

The  true  physician  is  always  anxious  in  the  inter- 
est of  his  patient  to  join  hands  with  the  surgeon; 
each  seeking  from  the  other  some  special  help  in 
healing.     From  the  scientific  point  of  view,  there 
is  no  distinction  between  the  physician  and  sur- 
geon; the  separation  between  them  being  arbitrary. 
The  operative  part  is  neither  the  most  important, 
nor  the  highest.     To  aid  nature  is  the  surgeon's 
first  duty,  to  relieve  rather  than  to  remove  diseased 
processes,  if  possible.    The  true  physician  is  slow 
in  using  remedies  that  are  new  until  he  is  sure  they 
are  reliable.     And  he  is  not  favorably  impressed 
with  those  physicians  who  are  constantly  bringing 
forward  something  new,  so  as  to  be  classed  brilliant. 
He  will  not  allow  a  single  operation  nor  suggest 
any  plan  of  treatment,  that,  should  the  sad  necessity 


102  THE  TRUE  PHYSICIAN 

arise,  he  would  not  readily  employ  were  the  pa- 
tient his  own  brother,  wife  or  child.  His  duty  Is 
to  preserve  life  and  do  everything  that  lies  in  his 
power  to  make  man  live  longer  and  happier.  The 
habits  and  habitation  of  his  patients,  their  clothing, 
food  and  drink,  their  inherited  weaknesses,  and  all 
sources  of  disease,  are  carefully  considered  and  in- 
vestigated,  and  remedied  or  removed,  if  possible. 
The  writing  of  a  prescription  or  the  giving  of  medi- 
cine, is  to  him  usually  only  a  small  factor  in  the 
treatment  of  disease,  yet  he  will  prescribe  the 
proper  dose  of  medicine,  at  the  proper  time.  The 
heavy  drinker  who  has  congestion  of  the  stomach, 
liver  or  kidneys,  must  relinquish  his  alcoholic  pota- 
tions. The  cigarette  fiend,  or  tobacco  user,  may 
have  to  surrender  his  pipe,  or  quid.  The  hysterical 
girl  must  be  ousted  from  her  sofa  home,  and  sym- 
pathetic surroundings.  The  bright  precocious 
school  girl  may  have  to  give  up  her  books,  and 
romp  and  play  to  get  richer  blood,  and  stronger 
nerves,  and  a  better  nervous  energy.  The  society 
belle  must  be  relieved  of  her  waist-tightening  cor- 
set, and  abandon  her  late  hours.  The  melancholy 
dyspeptic  must  change  the  character  of  his  food 


THE  TRUE  PHYSICIAN  103 

and  occupation.    Should  any  member  of  the  family 
he  is  treating,  be  afflicted  with  a  contagious  disease 
he  makes  it  known  at  once,  and  will  report  the 
matter  to  the  health  authorities,  so  that  others  may 
be  protected  from  its  dangers.    He  may  be  reward- 
ed for  his  kindness  to  humanity,  by  learning  when 
he  makes  his  next  visit,  that  the  shrewd  and  un- 
scrupulous agent  of  an  advertising  firm  has  learned 
the  address  of  his  patient,  and  has  mailed  a  circular 
containing  misrepresentations  of  wonderful  ''cures'* 
effected  by  secret  nostrums  for  scarlet  fever,  diph- 
theria,   smallpox    or    measles;    and    the    anxious 
mother  of  the  sick  one  is  much  worried  as  to  which 
is  the  best  course  to  pursue:  that  of  retaining  her 
family    physician,    or   of    trying     the     wonderful 
remedy  with   its  vaunted   ''cures,"   which   are  re- 
corded in  the  kindest  and  most  sympathetic  lan- 
guage in  the  advertisement  she  has  just  received. 
Should  he  report  the  birth  of  a  baby  at  which  he 
has  officiated,  the  happy  father  may  receive  within 
a  few  days  a  price  list  of  sterilizers,  babies'  foods, 
antiseptic  washes,   and   circulars   giving  remedies 
for  cramps  or  colic,  all  of  which  tend  to  demoralize 
the  good  work  of  the  physician,  and  worr>'  the  anx- 


104  THE  TRUE  PHYSICIAN 

ious  parents.  Verily!  the  way  of  the -true  physician 
is  hard.  He  deems  it  better  to  get  his  patients  well 
with  little  or  no  medicines  if  possible.  Wliile  the 
number  of  remedial  agents  given  in  the  books  is 
legion,  yet  he  selects  only  those  that  have  been 
tested  and  found  to  be  trustworthy  and  valuable. 
He  succeeds  in  using  probably  less  than  twenty 
(20)  different  medicines,  the  action  of  which  have 
been  studied  by  close  observation.  He  has  learned 
when  to  give,  and  when  not  to  give  medicines, 
which  is  a  very  important  consideration.  He  knows 
that  the  tendency  of  disease  is  generally  towards 
recovery,  if  nature  is  assisted  and  not  thwarted  in 
her  beneficent  designs.  He  shall  not  partake  in 
any  of  the  illusions  of  the  quack,  nor  prescribe  for 
a  patient  without  examining  him. 

The  following  shows  an  appreciation  of  the 
medical  profession  by  an  eminent  patient. 

'  The  medical  profession  belongs  to  the  so-called 
high  professions  or  callings  in  social  life.  There- 
fore the  members  of  the  medical  profession  are 
entitled  to  consideration  accordingly.  They  are  not 
only  to  be  considered  gentlemen  in  the  full  sense 
of  the  word,  but  they  are  deserving  of  respect  for 


THE  TRUE  PHYSICIAN  105 

their  learning  and  skill,  and  of  honor  for  the  high 
and  valuable  aim  of  their  profession  and  should  be 
treated  with  both  in  every  community.  If  there  are 
some  bogus  doctors,  unworthy  of  the  profession, 
that  should  cast  no  shadow  of  disregard  or  con- 
tempt upon  its  honorable  and  well  deserving  mem- 
bers, who  are  surely  in  the  vast  majority.  What 
community  could  afford  to  do  without  the  true 
physician?    He  is  a  public  necessity." 

The  true  physician  partakes  of  the  spirit  of  the 
artist.     The  quick  eye,  the  observant  gentleness, 
the  sympathizing  heart,  the  seizing  of  the  actual 
circumstances,  the  impressionableness  to  all  that  is 
soft  and  winning  and  lovely  and  weak  and  piteous; 
these  belong  to  the  true  physician  as  well  as  the 
true  painter.    He  is  an  official  minister  to  human 
sorrow,  and  recognizes  in  his  professional  work  the 
highest  type  of  duty  of  man's  humanity  to  man. 
"The  Medical  Profession"  is  lauded  by  Crabbe  in 
these  terms : 

"Glorious    its  aim:  to  ease  the  laboring  heart, 
To  war  with  death,  and  stop  its  flying  dart. 
To  trace  the  source  whence  the  fierce  contest  grew, 
And  death's  short  lease  on  easier  terms  renew. 


106  THE  TRUE  PHYSICIAN 

To  calm  the  frenzy  of  the  burning  brain, 

To  heal  the  tortures  of  imploring  pain; 

Or,  when  more  powerful  ills  all  efforts  brave 

To  heal  the  victim,  no  device  can  save, 

Then  soothe  the  stormy  pathway  to  the  grave.' 


CHAPTER  V 

SOME  ANATOMY 

As  the  location  and  function  of  the  great  internal 
organs  of  the  body  are  unknown  to  a  great  many 
people  who  consult  a  physician,  believing  that  their 
hearts,  livers,  lungs  or  kidneys  are  affected,  it  is 
to  be  hoped  that  the  following  brief  description 
and  position  of  these  organs  may  prove  interesting 
and  instructive. 

Heart 

The  heart,  that  three  cornered  exponent  of  our 
hopes  and  fears,  and  headquarters  of  the  god  Cu- 
pid, is  a  hollow,  muscular,  pumping  machine.  There 
is  no  especial  reason  why  it  should  have  been  se- 
lected as  the  seat  of  the  emotions,  as  the  Turk  sub- 
stitutes the  liver  for  it,  unless  on  account  of  its 
shape,  its  functions  and  its  compactness. 

In  shape  it  is  vaselike,  the  nicest  of  the  internal 
organs.    Its  function  is  noble.    It  holds  and  sends 

(107) 


\ 


108  SOME  ANATOMY 

out  the  life  blood  through  the  arteries  and  the  veins. 
Its  construction  and  compactness  suit  its  incessant 
labor.  Not  unfittingly,  therefore  has  the  heart  been 
chosen  by  common  consent  as  the  symbol  of  affec- 
tion, of  devotedness,  and  of  endurance. 

The  heart  is  a  double  organ  having  two  sides, 
the  right  and  left.  Each  side  contains  two  cavities, 
a  right  auricle  and  ventricle,  and  a  left  auricle  and 
ventricle.  There  is  no  communication  between  the 
two  sides  of  the  heart,  except  through  the  circuit 
of  the  lungs.  While  the  chambers  of  each  side  are 
connected  with  each  other,  the  openings  are  care- 
fully guarded  by  valves  which  open  and  shut  with 
each  pulsation,  admitting  the  blood  through  them 
in  one  direction,  but  entirely  preventing  its  passage 
back,  like  the  valves  of  a  pump. 

There  is  on  an  average  one  respiration  (one  act 
of  breathing)  to  about  four  pulsations  of  the  heart, 
making  the  average  number  of  respirations  eigh- 
teen per  minute. 

The  amount  of  blood  sent  to  the  lungs  at  each 
pulsation  of  the  heart  is  calculated  to  be  about  2 
ounces.  This  multiplied  by  72,  the  number  of  pul- 
sations per  minute,  gives  140  ounces,  or  about  9 


SOME  ANATOMY  10» 

pints  of  blood  sent  to  the  lungs  every  minute,  or 
67|  gallons  per  hour. 

After  each  Inspiration  40  cubic  inches  or  1  pint 
of  air  is  inhaled,  making  18  pints  of  air  every  min- 
ute, or  108'  pints  per  hour. 

The  heart  has  the  shape  of  a  hollow  cone,  and  is 
about  the  size  of  the  fist.  It  is  placed  behind  the 
lower  2-3  of  the  sternum  (or  the  breast  bone);  its 
apex  is  downwards  and  to  the  left,  and  its  base  up- 
wards and  to  the  right  of  that  bone.  It  is  three  inch- 
es to  the  left  of  the  median  line  of  the  lower  portion 
of  the  breast  bone  and  IJ  inches  to  the  right  of  the 
bone.  The  apex  is  situated  two  inches  below  the 
left  nipple,  and  one  inch  to  its  right. 

The  heart  propels  the  blood  through  the  blood 
vessels,  and  contracts  and  dilates  again  in  a  regular, 
and  rhythmical  manner.  From  the  left  side  the 
blood  is  carried  onwards  through  the  arteries  and 
capillaries  (fine,  like  hairs)  to  nourish  the  dififerent 
portions  of  the  body.  The  regular  beats  of  this 
blood  wave  is  called  the  pulse  which  can  be  easily 
felt  at  the  wrist,  the  neck,  upper  arm,  etc.  From 
the  capillaries  start  the  veins  which  unite  to  form 
larger  and  larger  veins  that  convey  the  blood  (now 


no  SOME  ANATOMY 

dark  and  filthy)  to  the  right  auricle  of  the  heart. 
From  the  right  auricle  the  blood  goes  to  the  right 
ventricle,  thence  to  the  lungs  to  be  made  clean, 
and  then  sent  back  to  the  left  auricle  of  the  heart 
into  the  left  ventricle  from  which  it  starts  again  on 
its  journey  through  the  body. 

Tilings 
The  lungs  are  the  organs  of  breathing;  they  are 
tVv^o  in  number  and  extend  from  the  lower  ribs  to  a 
little  above  the  collar-bones.  The  right  lung  is 
larger  and  broader,  but  not  so  lon^-  and  narrow 
as  the  left.  The  substance  of  the  lungs  is  of  a 
light,  porous,  and  spongy  texture,  and  floats  in 
water.  The  lungs  appear  like  a  tree  and  its  branch- 
es, but  at  the  ends  of  the  very  smallest  twigs  are 
the  air  cells  which  make  them  also  look  like  a 
sponge.  The  air  enters  the  lungs  through  the 
trachea  (air  tube  or  windpipe),  and  this  divides 
into  two  large  branches,  a  right  and  left  bronchus, 
which  again  divide  and  sub-divide  and  are  called 
bronchial  tubes.  The  big  wind-pipe  (the  trachea) 
in  man  is  about  an  inch  wide;  the  smallest  wind- 
pipes, that  is,  the  ultimate  bronchial  tubes  are  about 
one-thirtieth  or  one-fortieth  of  an  inch  in  width. 


SOME  ANATOMY  m 

The  air  enters  through  those  tubes  which  termi- 
nate in  air-cells  or  elastic  little  bags  or  sacks  whose 
walls  or  sides  are  so  thin  that  they  can  be  con- 
tracted or  expanded  at  will,  by  the  air  passing  into 
thecn.  There  is  an  infinite  number  of  these  little 
chambers,  or  sponge-like  cells,  into  which  the  air 
goes,  and  meets  the  blood,  to  which  it  gives  oxygen, 
and  the  carbolic  acid  of  the  blood  passes  through 
the  thin  walls  of  the  cells  into  their  cavities,  to  be 
thrown  out  in  the  act  of  expiration. 

In  bronchitis  there  is  inflammation  of  the  bron- 
chial tubes. 

In  croupous  pneumonia  the  air  cells  become  sol- 
idified with  fibrinous  matter,  and  this  is  removed  by 
expectoration  (spitting)  and  absorption,  and  the  air 
cells  regain  their  function.  In  consumption,  there 
are  softening  and  destruction  of  tissue,  formation  of 
cavities,  etc. 

Liver 
The  liver  is  situated  on  the  right  side  of  the  chest, 
and  extends  from  one  inch  below  the  right  nipple 
to  the  lower  border  of  the  ribs  (costal  cartilages), 
or  thus:  The  upper  border  of  the  liver  corresponds 
with   the  level  of  the  lower  end  of  the  sternum 


112  SOME  ANATOMY 

(breast-bone).  A  needle  thrust  into  the  right  side 
between  the  sixth  and  seventh  ribs  would  traverse 
the  lungs  and  then  pass  through  the  diaphragm  into 
the  liver.  The  left  lobe  of  the  liver  rests  in  front 
of  the  stomach.  Posture,  tight  lacing,  deep  breath- 
ing, distention  of  the  stomach  and  intestines, 
change  the  position  of  the  liver. 

The  liver  is  ten  to  twelve  inches  long,  five  or 
six  inches   wide,  three  inches  thick,  and  weighs 
three  to  four  pounds.     It  secretes  nearly  a  quart 
of  bile  daily.    It  is  the  great  ragpicker  of  the  body. 
It  also  forms  (glycogen)  sugar  for  the  system. 
The  Stomach 
The  stomach  varies  in  size  more  than  any  other 
organ  in  the  body.    When  moderately  full  its  trans- 
verse diameter  is  about  twelve  inches,  its  vertical 
diameter  about  four  inches,  and  weight  about  four 
and  one-half  ounces.     It  was  formerly  considered 
to  be  the  principal  organ  of  digestion,  but  it  is  now 
known  that  the  bowels  assist  materially  this  func- 
tion.    When  very  full,  the  stomach  swells  up  to- 
wards the  front,  displacing  the  other  contiguous 
organs,  pushing  in  every  direction  and  often  inter- 
fering with  the  action  of  the  heart.     Hence  the 


SOME  ANATOMY  113 

palpitation  and  distressing  heart  symptoms,  indi- 
gestion and  flatulance. 

Kidneys 

The  kidneys  are  two  in  number,  bean  shaped, 
and  situated  in  the  back  part  of  the  abdominal 
cavity,  in  front  of  the  eleventh  and  twelfth  ribs. 
Each  kidney  is  about  four  inches  long,  two  inches 
wide  and  one'  inch  thick  and  weighs  from  four  to 
six  ounces.  The  kidneys  secrete  the  urine  (about 
50  oz.  or  3  pints  daily).  As  the  air  enters  the  lungs 
through  the  trachea,  the  two  bronchi  and  the  bron- 
chial tubes,  the  urine  is  conveyed  from  the  kidneys 
through  small  orifices  (one-threehundreth  to  one- 
thirtieth  of  an  inch)  known  as  uriniferous  tubes, 
through  two  ducts  (ureters)  into  the  bladder.  In 
Bright's  disease  changes  take  place  in  the  urinifer- 
ous tubes,  and  in  the  structure  of  the  kidneys. 
The  Bowels 

The  bowels  or  intestines  commence  at  the  right 
end  of  the  stomach  (the  pylorus)  and  terminate  at 
the  anus.  The  small  intestine  is  20  feet  long,  and 
the  large  bowel  5  feet.  The  food  from  the  stomach 
is  mixed  with  the  bile,  the  pancreatic  juice  and  the 
secretions  of  various  glands  in  the  small  intestine 


114  SOME  ANATOMY 

which  influence  digestion,  and  separate  the  nutri- 
tive principles  of  the  food  from  the  useless  part. 
At  the  lower  portion  of  the  small  intestine  (the 
caecum)  near  the  ileo-caecal  valve  (between  lower 
and  upper  bowel)  is  the  appendix  vermiformis, 
a  narrow  worm-shaped  tube  from  3  to  6  inches 
long,  and  like  a  goose  quill.  This  tube  with  its 
narrow  canal  has  recently  obtained  considerable 
prominence  from  an  anatomical  and  surgical  stand- 
point, as  being  the  location  of  that  well-advertised 
disease,  "appendicitis." 


CHAPTER  VI 
don'ts 

Don't  boast  of  your  blue-blood  when  you  con- 
sult a  physician;  it  is  much  better  for  you  to  give 
him  all  the  information  you  possibly  can  about  the 
weaknesses,  such  as  consumption,  scrofula,  nervous 
debility,   headaches,    cough,   rheumatism,    catarrh, 
or  any  other  degenerate  or  debilitated  physical  con- 
dition that  you  may  have  inherited.    Be  candid  and 
truthful,  at  all  times,  to  your  physician.    He  rarely, 
if  ever,  finds  physical  perfection. 

Don't,  when  consulting  a  physician,  be  firmly  im- 
pressed with  the  idea  that  if  he  does  not  agree  with 
you  in  the  diagnosis  of  the  case,  he  is  wrong  and 
you  are  right.  It  is  very  pleasant  for  a  physician  to 
agree  with  his  patient,  but  it  is  not  always  just. 

Don't  exhibit  your  ignorance  of  anatomical 
knowledge  by  specifying  which  organ  is  involved 
without  being  able  to  locate  its  position.     Some 

(115) 


116  DONTS 

very  intelligent  people  place  the  liver  on  the  left 
side  and  the  kidneys  under  the  shoulder  blades. 
Give  the  symptoms  of  your  disease,  your  habits  of 
living,  your  family  history,  and  leave  the  diagnosis 
of  your  case  to  the  physician. 

Don't  feel  offended,  should  your  physician  probe 
deeply  into  your  family  history,  as  it  is  often  very 
important  in  order  that  the  treatment  may  be  pro- 
perly directed.  Every  man  in  a  physical  sense  has 
his  weak  side  or  point;  and  all  diseases  are  accus- 
tomed to  fix  themselves  in  those  parts  that  are  by 
nature  most  vulnerable,  or  weakest. 

Don't  consider  your  physician  infallible.  He 
cannot  determine  the  quantity  of  life  you  possess. 
The  architect  and  the  builder  can  correctly  ascer- 
tain the  strength  and  forces  from  without  that  the 
house  they  have  built,  can  withstand;  but  your 
constitution  (the  house  you  live  in)  may  have  many 
weak  pointe  in  its  structure  which  result  from  your 
ancestry,  habits  and  environment,  of  which  the 
physician  may  have  no  knowledge. 

Don't  ask  your  physician  what  medicines  he  is 
prescribing,  as  you  are  not  qualified  to  judge  of 


A  few  ♦♦infallible"  headache  powders. 


DON'TS  ll"? 

your  case.  He  may  give  you  arsenic,  or  strychnine, 
and  your  knowledge  of  the  action  of  drugs  is  sure- 
ly too  limited  for  you  to  be  able  to  tell  the  differ- 
ence in  the  dose  of  a  good  tonic  and  a  violent 
poison. 

Don't  pay  any  attention  to  the  statement  you 
hear  about  ''cures"  having  been  effected  so  rapidly 
in  cases  similar  to  yours.     Only   the    physician    is 
qualified  to  judge  about  the  importance  of  all  the 
symptoms  that  present  themselves.     As  there  are 
no  two  persons  exactly  alike,  so  diseases  are  not 
treated   by   routine,   but   in   accordance   with   the 
piiysical  condition  that  exists  in  each  individual. 
The  remedies  or  mode  of  treatment,  for  reUef  of 
patients  afflicted  with  the  same  disease  may  be  en- 
tirely different.    This  may  be  illustrated  by  the  fol- 
lowing anecdote:     'Two  mules,  one  laden  \fith  a 
sack  of  cotton,  and  the  other  with  a  bag  of  salt 
and  carrying  the  same  weight,  after  being  driven 
many  miles,  became  exhausted  as  they  reached  the 
bank  of  a  river  which  they  were  forced  to  swim 
across.    The  mule  that  carried  the  bag  of  salt  had 
his  load  lightened  by  swimming,  while  the  other 
with  the  sack  of  cotton  found  his  load  was  made 


118  DONTS 

much  heavier  by  being  soaked  with  the  water.  In 
attempting  to  reach  the  opposite  bank,  the  one  with 
the  burden  of  salt  was  much  refreshed,  and  got 
safely  across,  while  the  unfortunate  mule  laden  with 
the  cotton  perished." 

Don't  believe  that  the  eruption  of  measles, 
scarlet-fever  or  any  other  eruptive  disease,  can  be 
"brought  out"  or  "driven  in"  by  medicine  or  hot, 
or  cold  drinks.  Don't  believe  that  if  discharges 
from  the  ears,  eyes,  nose,  or  sores  of  any  kind  are 
relieved  or  stopped,  they  may  be  driven  to  some 
other  portion  of  the  body,  or  produce  other 
diseases. 

All  unnatural  discharges  should  be  relieved  by 
proper  treatment.  Continued  discharges  from  the 
ear  may  lead  to  deafness,  from  the  eyes  to  blind- 
ness, from  the  nose  to  catarrh  and  loss  of  the  sense 
of  smell. 

Don't  believe  that  giving  the  sick,  pure  cold 
water  will  do  harm  in  any  disease. 

Don't  believe  that  having  pain  in  the  "small  of 
the  back"  means  that  your  kidneys  are  affected. 
The  pain  may  be  rheumatic  or  neuralgic  in  charac- 


DON'TS  1^^ 

ter,  or  may  be  from  many  other  causes.     Don't 
confound  your  bladder  with  your  kidneys. 

Don't  believe  that  a  physician  treats  the  disease 
only.  He  treats  an  individual  suffering  from 
disease.  The  treatment  of  pneumonia,  for  instance, 
when  a  patient  has  a  weak  heart  or  some  disease 
of  the  heart,  is  entirely  different  from  that  of  a 
person  who  has  no  such  complication. 

Don't  fail  to  ventilate  the  sick  room  properly. 
As  the  hot  air  of  a  close  room  is  lighter  than  the 
cold  air  from  without,  it  ascends.  The  windows 
therefore  should  be  lowered  a  little,  which  is  better 
than  to  raise  them. 

Don't  fail  to  secure  rest  of  function  for  every 
inflamed  organ.  The  inflamed  stomach  requires 
only  easily  digested,  and  little  or  nc  .'ood;  the  diet 
in  cases  of  diseases  of  the  liver  an-  .cidneys  should 
be  restricted;  meats  and  alcoV  ,  as  a  rule,  pro- 
hibited. In  disease  of  the  brain.  .1  sources  of  worry 
and  irritattion  should  be  remo^  ^^d  as  much  as  possi- 
ble, and  absolute  quiet  secured.  The  proper  treat- 
ment of  sprains  (acute  or  recent)  consists  in  the  use 


120  DON'TS 

of  hot  water  and  complete  rest  from  motion  of  the 
parts  affected. 

Don't  think  it  is  the  physician's  duty  to  raise  the 
patient  in  bed,  and  make  a  tedious  examination 
during  each  visit.  While  a  thorough  examination, 
particularly  at  the  first  visit,  is  imperative  and  de- 
sirable, yet  in  cases  of  protracted  illness,  in  pneu- 
monia, disease  of  the  heart,  typhoid  fever,  etc.,  ex- 
haustion and  heart  failure  may  be  superinduced  by 
frequent  changes  from  the  recumbent  to  the  sitting, 
or  erect  position. 

Diagram 

Showing  comparative  mortality  from  thirteen  prom- 
inent causes  of  death  in  Philadelphia  for  ten  years 
(1884-1893,  inclusive),  indicating  the  great  prepon- 
derance of  diseases  of  the  air  passages,  from  ''Med- 
ical World,"  Pa. : 

Consumption   27,2491 

Pneumonia  17,GG2i 

Heart  Disease 10,24Gi 

Cholera   Infantum..   9,623i 

Marasmus 9,196 

Convulsions   8, 7541 


DON'TS  121 


Inflam.  of  Brain.. .   6,743 

Diphtheria 6,605 

Inflam.  of  Stomach 

and  Bowels 6,384 

Typhoid-fever    6,276 

Apoplexy 4,984 

Scarlet-fever 3,137i 

Smallpox 132i 

Total,  116,991 


CHAPTER  VII 

THE  BABY 

"Of  all  the  joys  that  brighten  suffering  earth, 
What  joy  is  welcomed  like  a  new  born  child?" 
The  new  born  babe  weighs  on  an  average  about 
7  pounds,  though  some  weigh  12,  14  or  even  16, 
and  some  as  little  as  3  pounds,  and  live.  After 
the  navel  cord  is  cut,  the  infant  should  be  placed 
on  its  right  side,  and  warmly  wrapped  in  woolen 
or  flannel  covering;  care  however  being  taken 
that  its  face  be  exposed,  so  that  it  can  inhale  the 
fresh  air,  just  now  the  most  important  requisite 
to  insure  its  living.  If  it  appears  feeble  and 
does  not  cry  aloud,  it  is  better  to  postpone  wash- 
ing and  dressing  it  for  some  time.  Should  it  be 
prematurely  born,  it  should  be  wrapped  at  once 
in  wool,  or  absorbent  cotton,  and  placed  near  the 
fire.  We  have  often  seen  inflammation  of  the  eyes 
set  in  from  the  irritation  produced  by  strands  of  a 

(122) 


THE  BABY  123 

woolen  shawl  placed  in   contact  with  the  baby's 
eyes.     After  removing  any  mucus  that  may  have 
accummulated  In  the  infant's  throat,  its  eyes  should 
be  carefully  washed  with  a  pinch  of  borax  dissolved 
in    clean,    boiled    water,    (tepid).      Washing    and 
dressing  the  baby  should  be  done  as  expeditiously 
as  possible,  thereby  preventing  chilling  draughts. 
By  lubricating  the  skin  with  lard  or  vaseline,  it 
can  generally  be  more  easily  washed.    It  is  scarcely 
necessary  to  say  that  the  nurse's  hands  and  finger- 
nails must  be  scrupulously  clean.     A  great  many 
are  possessed  of  the  idea  that  it  is  proper  to  give 
a  new  born  infant  some  nourishment  such  as  sugar 
water,   catnip-tea,    camomile-tea    or   weak    toddy, 
fearing   it    may    die    from    exhaustion   before   the 
mother  is  able  to  perform  her  function  in  nursing 
it.     The  baby  is  often  made  sick  and  irritable  by 
such  kind,  but  ill-directed  measures.     The  proper 
food  for  a  baby  is  its  healthy  mother's  milk,  and 
no  artificial  food  can  take  its  place.    The  new  born 
babe  and  mother  require  rest  and  quietude  more 
than  anything  else  at  this  juncture.     The  baby's 
eyes  are  yet  unable  to  bear  a  strong  light. 

The  mother,  during  the  last  month  of  her  preg- 


124  THE  BABY 

nancy,  should  wash  her  nipples  night  and  morning 
with  an  astringent  solution.  Tlie  following  answers 
the  purpose  very  well.  A  wide-mouthed  bottle, 
such  as  a  quinine  bottle,  is  filled  with  equal  parts 
of  alcohol  or  whiskey  and  strong  tea  in  which  a 
teaspoonful  of  powdered  alum  is  dissolved.  This 
tends  to  harden  the  soft  delicate  tissue  of  which 
the  nipples  are  composed,  that  will  prevent  cracks 
and  excoriations,  that  give  rise  to  severe  pain  on 
nursing.  The  pregnant  woman  must  avoid  tight 
lacing  and  pressure  on  the  breasts  from  close  fitting 
dress.  She  should  consult  a  physician  in  regard 
to  her  general  health  and  for  proper  advice.  The 
lives  of  many  mothers,  and  children  that  die  in 
confinement  would  be  saved  if  opportunities  were 
given  physicians  to  detect  abnormal  conditions  be- 
fore labor  begins. 

Should  the  baby  cry  continuously,  the  attention 
of  a  nurse  should  be  directed  to  removing  any 
source  of  irritation,  such  as  a  tight  bandage,  or 
belly  band,  or  the  pricking  of  a  pin,  instead  of 
hurriedly  giving  it  medicine  that  may  stop  its  cry- 
ing perhaps  forever. 


Mamma's  baby. 


THE  BABY  125 

"Then  the  good  nurse,  (who,  had  she  borne  a  brain, 
Had  sought  the  "cause"  that  made  her  babe  com- 
plain) 
Has  all  her  efforts — loving  soul — applied, 
To  set  the  cry  and  not  the  cause  aside. 
She  gave  her  powerful  sleep  without  remorse 
"The  sleeping  cordial"  (she  had   tried  its  force) 
Repeating  oft.    The  .infant,  freed  from  pain. 
Rejected  food  but  took  the  dose  again. 
Soon  she  may  spare  her  cordial;  not  a  doubt 
Remains,  but  quickly  he  will  rest  v/ithout." 

All  cordials  and  pain  relieving  preparations  of 
opium,  such  as  paregoric,  laudanum,  etc.,  should 
never  be  given  unless  directed  by  the  physician. 
The  murder  of  the  Innocents  still  continues,  through 
the  ignorance  of  mothers  and  nurses  In  administer- 
ing sleep-producing  medicines.  The  colicky  pains 
caused  generally  by  an  excess  of  food,  or  improper 
food,  can  usually  be  relieved  by  an  enema  of  warm 
water,  or  the  administration  of  some  camomile  tea, 
catnip  tea,  or  magnesia. 

The  baby  should  be  put  to  the  breast  within  an 
hour  after  Its  birth,  and  the  first  sustenance  It  re- 
ceives  is  a  thin  watery  substance  which   has  not 


126  THE  BABY 

even  the  appearance  of  milk,  but  is  possessed  of 
the  property  of  acting  as  a  sHght  purgative. 
Though  the  flow  of  milk  is  not  well  established  in 
the  majority  of  cases  until  the  third  day,  yet  enough 
is  obtainable  by  the  baby  nursing  every  hour  and 
a  half,  or  two  hours,  to  insure  sufificient  protection 
against  danger  from  starvation.  Nature  has  there- 
fore most  suitably  provided  fior  the  wants  of  this 
helpless  young  stranger.  This  fact  should  serve 
as  a  check  to  the  intermeddling  proclivities  of  the 
must-do'-something  nurse. 

If  the  mother  has  not  sufficient  milk,  or  is  unable 
through  debility  to  nurse  her  baby,  and  a  desirable 
vi^et  nurse  cannot  be  obtained  or  afforded,  the  selec- 
tion of  the  most  agreeable  and  nutritive  food  is 
a  question  of  paramount  importance.  There  are 
some  children  with  whom  the  artificial  foods  to 
be  found  in  the  market  agree,  while  others  require 
cow's  milk  as  the  most  promising  food.  However, 
in  the  great  majority  of  instances,  pure  cow's  milk 
is  the  best  substitute.  Alas!  how  little  attention  is 
paid  to  the  quality  and  cleanliness  of  the  food  which 
parents  give  to  their  precious  darlings!  Who  visits 
the  dairies,  or  inspects  the  cows  from  which  the 


THE  BABY  127 

milk  is  obtained?  Good  cow's  milk  is  at  all  times 
desirable,  but  especially  so  when  used  for  the  babe's 
nutrition.  Grass-fed  cows  give  the  good  creamy 
milk,  swill-fed  cows  give  an  entirely  inferior  article. 
Laws  prohibiting  the  sale  of  milk  from  swill-fed 
cows  should  be  severely  enforced.  The  dairy,  the 
cow  house,  and  its  environment  should  be  in- 
spected, as  well  as  the  cans  in  which  the  milk  is 
received  and  delivered,  and  the  health  of  the  cows 
should  also  be  investigated.  Milk  from  sickly  cows 
is  sold  and  distributed  in  our  cities;  thereby  en- 
dangering the  lives  of  our  children.  ^lilk  being  a 
good  food  for  man  is  also  unfortunately  a  good 
food  for  the  germs  of  disease;  and  typhoid-fever, 
diphtheria,  cholera  and  other  disorders,  are  spread 
by  filthy  milk.  The  dejections  of  patients  with 
typhoid-fever  may  gain  access  to  it,  or  it  may  be 
adulterated  with  impure  water  that  contains  the 
active  agents  of  disease. 

Alilk  as  it  comes  from  the  CO'W  is  slightly  alkaline, 
but  when  sold  at  the  doors  of  residences  many 
hours  afterwards,  it  is  usually  some\vhat  acid. 
Churned  by  being  placed  in  cans  driven  over  a 
rough  country  road,  and  subjected  to  the  broiling 


128  THE  BABY 

rays  of  a  hot  summer's  sun,  does  surely  not  improve 
its  quality. 

To  detect  whether  milk    is    alkaline    or   acid   is 
simply  and  easily  done  by  dipping  into  a  sample  of 
it  a  little  litmus  paper,  which  can  be  procured  at  any 
drugstore. 

If  the  blue  litmus  paper  turns  red  by  coming 
in  contact  with  the  milk,  then  the  milk  is  acid,  and 
cannot  be  given  to  a  babe  with  safety.  If  the  blue 
color  of  the  litmus  dipped  in  a  little  milk  remains 
unchanged  the  milk  is  alkaline,  its  proper  reaction. 
All  milk  before  being  administered  to  the  baby 
should  be  sterilized,  that  is,  freed  from  all  danger 
of  septic  or  poisonous  properties,  by  subjecting  it 
to  heat.  Sterilization  requires  a  temperature  of 
212  degrees  F.  (boiling  point).  There  are  steri- 
lizers to  be  found  in  every  drugstore.  There  is  no 
other  question  of  such  vital  importance  in  munici- 
pal legislation  as  the  protection  of  the  inhabitants 
of  our  cities  from  adulterated  and  bad  milk.  It 
is  strange  that  when  the  right  to  a  piece  of  property, 
or  the  safety  of  a  bond  or  note  is  in  question,  every 
attempt  is  made  to  ascertain  its  financial  value,  but 
that  a  matter  of  such  importance  as  the  preservation 


THE  BABY  ^29 

of  the  life  of  an  infant,  requires  seemingly  so  little 
thought  or  consideration  by  many  people. 

Milk  is  really  the  only  food  that  has  all  the  ele- 
ments necessary  for  healthy  nutrition.  In  it  we 
find  four  classes  of  aUmentary  substances.  Albu- 
minoid (flesh  making),  fatty  (butter).  Saccharine 
(sugar)  and  saline  (chloride  of  sodium— common 
salt),  phosphate  of  Ume  (bone  builder),  etc.,  all  com- 
bined in  proportion  and  well  adapted  for  the  period 
during  which  growth  is  active.     However,  as  age 

increases,  the  proportion   of  albuminates   and   fa^ 
are  in  excess,  as    compared    with    the  amount    of 

sugar.     The  percentage  or  composition  of   good 

cow's    milk    is    thus    given    by    Parkes.      Specific 

gravity  1029  and  over. 
Water  81.8. 
Albuminates  4.0. 

Fats  3.7. 
Carbohydrates  4.8. 

Salts  0.7. 
Woman's  milk. 
Water,  87-88. 
Albuminates  1.0. 
Fats  4.0. 


130  THE  BABY 

Carbohydrates  7.0. 

Salts  0.2. 

Woman's  milk  has  a  specific  gravity  of  about 
1031.  It  will  be  observed  from  these  tables  that 
while  woman's  milk  has  about  the  same  proportion 
of  fat  as  cow's  milk,  it  is  almost  twice  as  rich  in  the 
carbohydrates  (milk  sugar),  and  that  it  has  only 
about  one-fourth  as  much  of  the  albuminates  which 
is  the  portion  of  the  milk  upon  which  the  produc- 
tion of  new  tissue  in  the  baby  largely  depends. 

In  the  albuminates,  or  albuminoids,  is  found 
casein  that  forms  the  curd,  and  is  the  most  objec- 
tionable element  in  the  milk  as  food  for  the  baby, 
because  it  is  difficult  of  digestion.  This  curd  often 
sets  up  irritation  in  the  bowels,  a  diarrhoea,  etc., 
and  is  often  passed  in  cheesy  looking,  indigested 
lumps  from  the  bcKly.  This  condition  may  be  re- 
lieved by  boiling  the  milk  and  diluting  it  by  add- 
ing one  part  milk  and  two  parts  soda-water,  or 
ten  grains  of  bread-soda  (bicarbonate  soda)  and 
ten  grains  of  common  salt  may  be  added  to  one 
pint  of  milk  and  water  (equal  parts).  Treated  in 
this  manner,  it  is  usually  found  quite  digestible. 

All  germs  arc  destroyed  by  boiling. 


THE  BABY  131 

The  nursing  bottle  should  be  kept  at  all  times 
scrupulously  clean,  and  the  rubber  nipple,  when 
not  being  used^  should  be  placed  in  a  glass  or  cup 
containing  some  water  that  has  been  boiled.  The 
rubber  hose  should  not  be  used.  Occasional  wash- 
ing of  the  nipple  and  bottle  with  a  solution  of  soda 
becomes  necessary.  Cleanliness  is  imperative. 
How  often  have  we  noticed  the  vials  of  medicine, 
the  nursing  bottle,  the  milk  glass  and  spoon,  placed 
on  the  mantel  over  a  hot  fire,  instead  of  in  a  cool, 
clean  place! 

No  other  food  except  milk,  provided  it  agrees 
with  the  baby  and  the  baby  thrives  upon  it,  should 
be  given  up  to  seven  or  eight  months  old. 

The  infant  should  have  a  bed  of  its  own  and 
the  room  in  which  it  sleeps  should  receive  fresh  air 
daily,  by  opening  the  windows;  the  baby  of  course 
removed  to  another  room  if  the  weather  is  too 
cold.  The  cradle  or  bed  should  be  placed  so  that 
the  light  does  not  come  to  the  child  from  the  side, 
but  from  the  end  where  the  head  is.  The  baby 
should  never  be  tied  or  strapped  in  bed,  as  free  mo- 
tion of  its  limbs  must  not  in  any  manner  be  interfer- 
ed with.     A  good  general  rule  in  reference  to  the 


132  THE  BABY 

comfort  of  a  child  is,  to  keep  it  cool  at  both  ex- 
tremities in  summer,  and  its  feet  and  head  com- 
fortably warm  when  exposed  to  the  cold  v/intry 
weather.  Mouth  breathing,  instead  of  breathing 
through  the  nose,  should  be  prevented,  as  it  pro- 
duces catarrh.  Infants  and  children  are  generally 
kept  entirely  too  warm  in  the  cities  of  this  country 
during  the  hot  summer  months.  The  temperature 
of  the  nursery  should  not  exceed  65  degrees. 

A  healthy  child  grows  with  animal  heat  and  is 
full  of  life  and  animation.  At  birth  its  palpitating 
little  heart  contracts  from  130  to  140  times  per 
minute.  At  the  age  of  three  years  the  pulse  is 
above  90,  while  that  of  an  adult  averages  70.  Is 
it  any  wonder  that  bowel-complaints  prevail  so  ex- 
tensively among  children  in  summer,  when  we  con- 
sider the  fact  that  their  delicate  stomachs  are  ex- 
pected two  or  three  times  daily,  to  digest  meat, 
green  vegetables,  pastry,  candies,  ices,  administered 
to  them  by  over-indulgent  mothers?  During  warm 
weather  digestion  is  enfeebled,  and  prudence  and 
moderation  in  eating  are  then  very  necessary.  As 
a  result  of  observation  and  experience,  it  may  be 
stated   that   infants   and   children   are   not   allowed 


THE  BABY  1^ 

sufficient  pure  cold  water,  cither  in  health  or 
disease.  There  is  no  condition  or  disease  in  which 
pure  water  should  be  prohibited.  The  period  of 
childhood  from  four  to  ten  years  is  probably  the 
happiest  period  of  life.  Yet  what  pains  are  some- 
times taken  to  destroy  all  that  is  natural  in  children 
and  render  this  delightful  time  of  life  irksome  and 
unhealthy!  Children  are  told  that  to  ask  questions 
is  inquisitive  and  impertinent,  that  it  is  vulgar  to 
romp  or  use  any  active  exercise,  that  it  is  not 
good  manners  to  talk  to  or  notice  anyone  beneath 
them.  Their  young  lives  are  perverted  by  vain 
mothers  from  the  beautiful  simplicities  of  nature  to 
the  cold  conventionalities  of  art  and  affectation. 

A  new  born  infant  breathes  35  times  a  minute, 
a  child  of  12  months,  27  times,  a  child  of  2  years,  25 
times,  6  to  12  years  old,  22  times,  an  adult,  17  to 
22  times.  The  temperature  of  the  infant  is  100 
degrees  or  a  fraction  under  it;  that  of  an  adult,  98J 
To  rear  a  child  healthily,  it  must  not  only  be  al- 
lowed water,  but  also  exercise  in  the  open  air. 
A  babe  a  month  old  should  be  taken  out  of  doors 
for  a  little  while  In  the  middle  of  the  day,  except 
in   bad   weather.      In    the    second    year    it    should 


134  THE  BABY 

be  out  of  doors  in  fair  weather  at  least  two  and  a  half 
or  three  hours  daily. 

In  summer,  children  should  be  out  of  doors  al- 
most all  day  long.  Extremes,  however,  must  be 
avoided.  Reckless  exposure,  and  too  light  clothing 
and  rough  handling,  will  be  detrimental  as  well  as 
the  ever  anxious  exclusion  from  the  air.  There 
can  be  no  fixed  rule.  We  must  individualize  in  this 
as  well  as  in  other  matters,  and  not  generalize. 
While  a  healthy  mother's  milk  is  the  proper  food 
for  a  babe,  yet  in  this  age  of  artificial  mode  of 
living  on  the  part  of  so  many  women,  it  is  rare 
indeed  to  find  in  the  cities,  among  the  native  born 
women,  those  who  are  possessed  of  such  a  high 
standard  of  health  as  to  be  able  to  nurse  their  chil- 
dren without  detriment  to  their  own  constitution. 
They  are  pale,  nervous  and  so  debilitated  that  their 
milk  has  not  sufficient  nutriment  for  their  children; 
hence  good  cow's  milk  is  often  preferable  to  weak 
mother's  milk. 

It  is  very  important  that  regular  habits  should 
be  enforced  even  in  early  infancy.  Constipation 
in  the  infant  is  often  a  source  of  trouble  and  an- 
noyance to  the  mother.      While  there  are  many 


THE  BABY  135 

aperient  or  purgative  medicines  that  can  be  used, 
it  may  be  stated  that  probably  the  best  purgative 
for  a  baby  Is  castor-oil,  notwithstanding  its  dis- 
agreeable taste.  Tlie  follov/ing  is  a  form  which 
renders  it  more  pleasant.  It  may  be  given  in  one 
or  two  teaspoonfuls  at  a  dose.  Take  castor-oil 
one  ounce,  calcined  magnesia  two  drachms,  loaf 
sugar  three  drachms,  oil  of  anise  two  drops,  all 

V  mixed  thoroughly.  This  mixture  is  quite  pleasant 
and  efificacious.  An  advantage  that  castor-oil  has' 
over  many  other  laxative  remedies  is,  that  con- 
stipation does  not  follow  its  use,  as  is  the  case  with 
rhubarb,  and  other  remedies.  ]\Ianna  is  an  excel- 
lent mild  purgative,  it  can  be  given  to  the  youngest 
infant,  and  is  swxet  to  the  taste.  It  may  be  given 
in  a  dose  of  one  to  three  drachms.  Rubbing  an 
infant's  abdomen  with  castor-oil  or  olive-oil  will 
often  be  found  useful  in  relieving  constipation. 

In  case  of  convulsions  of  children,  or  when  quick 
effect  is  to  be  obtained,  an  enema  may  be  used,  but 
not  frequently.  The  simplest  form  is  warm  water 
or  soap  suds,  or  warm  milk  and  water,  which  is 
mild,  bland  and  unirrltating.  While  it  is  very  simple 
to  adopt  this  plan  of  unloading  the  bowels,  yet  a  lit- 


136  THE  BABY 

tie  precaution  in  the  use  of  a  syringe  is  necessary. 
The  nozzle  of  the  syringe,  or  a  soft  elastic  rubber 
pipe,  should  be  smeared  with  lard  and  introduced 
into  the  bowels,  the  baby  being  placed  on  its  left 
side  in  the  lap  of  the  mother,  and  the  knees  flexed 
on  the  abdomen.  It  is  important  that  the  nozzle  be 
not  introduced  parallel  to  the  axis  of  the  body,  that 
is  straight  upwards,  but  should  be  rather  inclined 
to  the  left.  The  fluid  should  be  propelled  gradu- 
ally, for  otherwise  it  will  be  instantly  rejected. 

Nothing  tends  to  the  promotion  of  good  health 
and  strength  in  a  growing  infant,  as  plenty  of 
sleep.  The  child  under  a  year  old  should  sleep 
one-half  of  its  time,  and  an  infant,  eighteen  to 
twenty  hours  out  of  twenty-four.  When  a  child  is 
asleep  its  pulse  rate  is  diminished  by  fifteen  or 
twenty  beats.  A  child  should  not  be  forced  to 
walk  before  the  tenth  month,  and  generally  is  able 
to  w^alk  when  a  year  old.  A  baby  loses  weight 
during  the  first  week,  but  at  the  end  of  that  time 
it  weighs  as  much  as  it  did  when  born.  It  should 
be  remembered  that  the  infant's  stomach  at  birth 
is  very  small  and  the  liver  proportionately  large. 
A  new  born  babe  requires  only  about  two  table- 


THE  BABY  137 

spoonfuls  (one  ounce)  of  fluid  to  fill  its  stomach; 
hence  the  importance  of  not  over-loading  its  stom- 
ach by  too  frequently  nursing  or  feeding.  The 
average  weight  of  the  babe  being  seven  pounds, 
it  is  interesting  to  know  that  usually  at  four  months 
its  weight  is  double.  The  average  height  is  nine- 
teen inches.  Its  height  is  not  doubled  until  the 
age  of  four  years.  At  one  year  it  is  treble  the 
original  weight;  and  its  height  is  twenty-seven 
inches.  Measurement  across  the  shoulders,  one- 
fourth  of  length  of  entire  body.  From  five  to  twen- 
ty months  it  gains  at  the  rate  of  a  pound  a  month, 
that  is  half  an  ounce  a  day.  This  of  course  is  re- 
garded only  as  an  average. 

The  infant  has  no  saliva  (spittle),  and  cannot 
therefore  digest  starch.  There  is  probably  enough 
of  it  to  keep  the  mouth  moist;  but  at  the  age  of 
three  or  four  months,  it  has  increased  to  such  an 
extent  that  the  baby  begins  to  dribble,  and  requires 
the  use  of  a  bib. 

The  period  of  teething,  especially  if  it  should 
occur  in  the  summer,  is  often  a  critical  time  in 
the  history  of  a  child.  The  incisors  (biters)  appear 
in  the  upper  gums  about  the  seventh  month,  but 


138  THE  BABY 

often  are  protracted  until  the  twelfth  or  fourteenth 
month,  and  sometimes  appear  as  early  as  the  third 
or  fourth  month;  and  occasionally  a  baby  is  born 
with  a  tooth.  The  diet  of  the  child  at  this  critical 
period  should  be  carefully  looked  after.  Digestion 
is  usually  enfeebled,  and  convulsions  sometimes 
occur. 

Children's  teeth  are  temporary  teeth,  twenty  in 
number;  four  incisors,  (biters,)  two  canine  (tearers 
or  dog  teeth),  and  four  molars  (grinders)  in  each 
jaw;  they  are  also  called  the  deciduous,  or  milk 
teeth.  These  teeth  have  no  roots  and  usually  drop 
out  between  five  and  eight  years  old.  The  Incisors 
are  used  to  bite,  to  gnaw,  or  to  cut;  the  canine  or 
dog  teeth  are  used  to  tear,  and  the  molars  are  the 
grinders. 

The  permanent  teeth  number  twenty-eight,  and 
four  wisdom  teeth.  It  will  be  observed  that  the 
child  has  no  bicuspid,  or  teeth  for  the  purpose  of 
chewing.  The  permanent  teeth  consist  of  four  in- 
cisors, two  central  and  two  lateral,  two  canine,  four 
bicuspids  and  six  molars  in  each  jaw.  From  this 
we  learn  that  food,  which  must  be  well  chewed, 
should  never  enter  into  the  diet  of  the  young  child, 


THE  BABY  139 

as  unfortunately  not  being  masticated,  the  stomach 
is  forced  to  do  a  duty  which  is  not  its  function;  and 
indigestion,  and  its  sequelae  are  the  inevitable  re- 
sults.    In  the  case  of  convulsions  from  teething, 
if  fever  should  be  high  when  convulsions  set  in, 
the   gum    should   be   carefully   examined,    and   if 
swollen  and  tense,  and  the  tooth  on  the  point  of 
coming  through  the  gum,  the  lancet  may  be  used, 
but  not  otherwise.    A  child  with  convulsions,  even 
if  the  cause  is  not  ascertained,  should  be  placed  in 
a  warm  bath,  the  head  kept  cool  with  cloths  wrung 
out  of  cold  water.    An  enema  of  soap-suds  should 
be  administered,  and  the  child's  bowels  unloaded. 

Three  minutes  without  air,  three  days  without 
water,  or  three  weeks  without  food,  results  usually 
in  death.  How  important  it  is  for  the  growing 
young  child  to  partake  of  as  pure  air  as  possible! 
When  we  visit  the  poorest  districts  of  cities  in  the 
tenement  quarters,  where  several  families  are  hud- 
dled together  and  deprived  of  the  advantages  of 
fresh  air,  we  are  not  surprised  that  the  mortality  of 
children,  during  the  summer  months  particularly, 
be  so  great.  Those  that  survive  the  pernicious 
influences  of  filth,    foul    air   and   bad    food,    show 


140  THE  BABY 

that  the  power  of  vital  resistance  is  so  strong,  and 
their  inheritance  so  good,  that  death  cannot  take 
place  in  such  cases  except  under  the  most  direful 
conditions.  However,  the  fact  that  those  children 
are  not  pampered,  nor  induced  or  compelled  to 
live  indoors,  is  an  advantage  they  possess  over 
those  children  reared  in  luxurious  homes.  They 
are  allowed  to  go  barefooted  in  summer  with  scanty 
clothing,  which  is  really  an  advantage;  and  their 
plays,  romps  and  exercises  are  not  usually  re- 
stricted. Their  systems  are  early  in  life  inured  to 
strengthening  the  vital  forces;  and  the  real  battle 
of  life,  the  survival  of  the  fittest,  begins  early. 
During  summer  no  child  should  be  put  to  bed 
without  a  bath  and  free  rubbing  with  a  coarse 
towel.  It  tends  to  produce  sleep  and  gives  great 
comfort.  However,  if  the  child  be  delicate,  warm 
baths  may  be  too  frequently  given,  and  may  bring 
about  a  debilitated  condition.  A  little  bicarbonate 
of  soda  (bread  soda)  added  to  the  water  will  usually 
relieve  the  itching  sensation  and  prickly  heat  which 
are  the  source  of  annoyance  and  sleeplessness  dur- 
ing summer. 

Medicines  for  the  relief  of  pain,  no  matter  in 


THE  BABY  1^1 

what  form  they  are  presented  in  circulars  or  al- 
manacs,   should    be    used   with    extreme    caution. 
Opium    (and  this  term  includes  paregoric,  lauda- 
num and  morphia)  are  dangerous  in  the  hands  of 
the  laity,  always.     In  the  administration  of  lauda- 
num without  the  order  of  the  physician,  the  dose 
is  never  to  exceed  one  drop  for  every  year  of  the 
child's  age.    Children  and  old  people  are  very  sus- 
ceptible to  the  influence  of  opium.     It  should  be 
remembered  that  one  grain  of  opium  is  equivalent 
in  its  effect  to  twenty-five  drops  of  laudanum,  to 
a  tablespoonful  of  paregoric,  or  one-fourth  of  a 
grain  of  morphia. 

Well  would  it  be,  if  every  parent  would  inspect 
the  school-room  and  its  surroundings  in  which  their 
children  spend  about  one-fourth  of  their  existence 
in  early  life.  Unfortunately,  that  duty  is  left  often 
to  unscrupulous  politicians,  many  of  whom  have 
only  a  very  limited  education,  and  care  not  to  visit 
the  school-room,  or  are  not  qualified  to  give  proper 
instructions  in  hygiene,  or  the  proper  comfort  to 
the  children.  The  physician  should  take  the  place 
of  the  politician  in  this  respect. 


U2  THE  BABY 

Boiled,  aerated  water  for  drinking  purposes 
should  be  used  in  every  school-room  in  the  country. 
Light  and  ventilation  should  be  carefully  looked 
after.  The  school  hours  of  children  in  many  of 
the  cities  should  be  chang-ed.  The  child  is  com- 
pelled to  get  out  of  bed  often  too  early,  in  order 
to  be  dressed  and  washed  and  breakfasted,  and 
then  hurried  off  to  school  in  dread  of  being-  too 
late.  The  morning  meal  is  partaken  of  hurriedly 
without  being  properly  masticated;  for  a  child 
under  such  circumstances  cannot  have  an  appetite. 
It  would  be  better  if  the  school  hours  would  be 
changed  from  nine  till  twelve,  with  one  hour  or 
an  hour  and  a  half  for  dinner;  studies  being  resumed 
till  three,  with  two  short  recesses  (forenoon 
and  afternoon).  It  is  much  better  that  children 
should  be  allowed  a  little  exercise  in  the  open  air 
before  sitting  at  the  breakfast  table.  The  pale, 
delicate,  nervous  child  will  become  more  so  by 
being  sent  to  school  too  early.  Such  a  child  re- 
quires a  good  physical  constitution  which  cannot 
be  obtained  in  close  rooms,  nor  by  arduous  studies 
for  a  brain  but  imperfectly  developed.  The  bright, 
precocious,  pale-faced  little  girl  who  always  wins 


THE  BABY  U3 

the  prize  in  her  class,  and  can  sit  still  for  hours  at 
her  books,  but  is  disinclined  to  play,  will  in  all 
probability  die  of  consumption  or  brain  trouble, 
before  the  age  of  thirty.  Less  time  for  study,  and 
more  for  play,  will  avoid  the  necessity  of  giving 
her  iron  and  food  medicines,  later  in  life. 

"Sending  the  children  to  bed  and  laying  the 
goose  to  the  fire,"  is  a  selfish  proverb  that  indicates 
the  practice  of  our  fore-fathers.  It  is  a  great  mis- 
take to  allow  children  to  retire  without  a  glass  of 
warm  milk,  or  some  other  light  and  easily  digested 
food.  It  is  not,  however,  to  be  inferred  that  heavy 
suppers  before  retiring  are  conducive  to  sound 
sleep.  Children  are  sometimes  allowed,  or  even 
encouraged,  to  eat  too  much.  A  voracious  child 
is  not  bom,  but  reared.  Constitutionally  timid  and 
nervous  children  must  not  be  startled  and  fright- 
ened by  senseless  tales  of  ghosts  and  goblins;  nor 
should  their  little  minds  receive  the  false  impres- 
sion from  parents  that  the  doctor  is  a  scarecrow 
or  bogie  policeman;  this  is  often  done  by 
thoughtless  mothers  for  the  purpose  of  quieting  a 
petulant  or  crying  child.  A  great  deal  of  harm  is 
done  by  creating  such  an  erroneous   idea  in  the 


U4  THE  BABY 

young  mind,  and  thereby  instilling  a  strong  preju- 
dice against  the  doctor.  Let  the  child  be  taught 
that  the  physician  is  a  friend  and  benefactor,  and 
not  an  enemy. 

When  the  deciduous  or  milk  teeth,  about  the  age 
of  five  or  six,  are  giving  way  to  the  permanent 
teeth  ^vliich  take  their  place,  it  is  important  at  this 
period  to  consult  a  dentist  who  can  prevent  irregu- 
larities and  ugly  teeth,  that  occasionally  occur. 
Children  should  be  taught  early  in  life  the  value 
and  importance  of  the  tooth-brush.  Not  only  be- 
fore they  retire  at  night,  and  after  getting  up  in 
the  morning  should  the  brush  with  warm  water 
be  vigorously  used,  but  in  order  to  remove  the 
particles  of  food  that  lodge  between  the  teeth  and 
decompose,  the  tooth-pick  and  brush  are  needed. 
The  habit  of  cleanliness  thus  engendered,  will  in 
after  years  be  remunerated  by  the  preservation  of 
the  teeth,  by  the  process  of  mastication  being 
properly  performed,  and  indigestion  to  a  great  ex- 
tent prevented.  Dentrifices  and  gritty  substances 
to  whiten  the  teeth  should  be  avoided.  The  nor- 
mal color  of  teeth  is  not  white,  but  yellowish  white. 


THE  BABY  1*5 

Warm  water  alone,  or  with  a  little  prepared  chalk, 
is  sufficient  to  keep  the  teeth  clean. 

The  bones  of  a  child  are  characterized  by  softness 
and  elasticity  much  greater  than  in  after  life.  This 
is  why  derangements  of  the  normal  development 
of  the  skeleton  so  easily  occur.  If  the  child  does  not 
receive  a  proper  supply  of  lime  salts,  the  develop- 
ment of  the  bones  is  interfered  with,  then  there  is 
danger  of  the  disease  of  the  bones,  such  as  rickets, 
hipjoint  disease,  and  spinal  trouble. 

Whiskey  taken  by  the  mother  will  aflfect  the 
ckild.  It  is  a  very  pernicious  habit  that  prevails, 
unfortunately,  to  a  great  extent  among  the  poor, 
of  giving  beer  or  whiskey  to  their  children.  Large 
drafts  of  ice  water,  or  candies  or  cakes,  as  a  rule 
should  not  be  given  to  children.  Those  cheap 
candies  and  gummy  sweets  (glucose)  particularly, 
should  not  be  allowed. 

While  diseases  of  children  are  especially  difficult 
to  understand  and  treat  wisely,  yet  children  suffer, 
and  more  of  them  in  proportion  die  than  adults, 
as  the  result  of  quackery  and  lack  of  proper  atten- 
tion. The  physician  is  not  consulted  early  enough, 
as  many  imprudent  mothers  believe  that  doctors 


U6  THE  BABY 

can  do  little  for  children  as  "they  are  too  young 
to  take  doctor's  medicines  anyhow."  The  diar- 
rhoea has  been  checked  with  paregoric  suggested 
by  the  druggist,  or  the  ''knowledgeable  old  lady," 
and  the  child  is  often  made  worse  In  consequence. 
The  cough  mixture  has  not  "cured"  the  cough, 
and  there  is  now  an  alarming  case  of  broncho- 
pneumonia; the  "rash  did  not  come  out"  with  saff- 
ron tea  and  other  vile  hot  decoctions.  IMany  days 
of  illness  to  the  child  have  passed  before  the  phy- 
sician is  called;  valuable  time  has  been  lost,  and  the 
trivial  ailment  has  now  by  maltreatment  become  a 
grave  disorder.  It  is  better  to  be  sure  than  to  be 
sorry,  hence  let  the  physician  be  summ.oned  early 
for  advice  and  instruction,  not  necessarily  for  the 
purpose  of  medicating,  though  the  child  be  sick. 

As  young  children  cannot  tell  where  and  how 
they  suffer,  the  mother  should  observe  her  little 
patient  carefully  and  note  intelligently  the  counte- 
nance, gestures,  position  and  movements  of  her 
sick  child,  in  order  to  be  able  to  give  a  clear  and 
exact  report  of  the  symptoms,  or  features  of  its 
disease,  to  the  physician.     Mothers  through  sym- 


THE  BABY  U7 

pathy  and  solicitude  are  often  inclined  to  present 
the  condition  of  the  child  as  worse  than  it  really  is. 
The  expression  of  the  face  of  the  child  in  health 
is  calm  and  bright;  in  babies  it  is  meaningless,  or 
indicative  of  wonder  or  surprise.     If  the  brow  is 
wrinkled   or  contracted,   it   points   to  pain   in   the 
head.     Redness  and  flushing  of  the  face  indicate 
fever;    when  markedly  red,  alternating  with  pallor 
and  knitted  brow,  combined  with  restlessness,  brain 
trouble  of  some  kind  is  probable.     If  the  pupils  of 
the  eye  are  insensible  to  light  (that  is,  do  not  shrink 
before  a  lighted  candle),  and  squinting  and  cross- 
ing of  the  eyes  occur  with  fever,  then  convulsions 
are  likely  to  take  place.     When  the   child   sleeps 
with  eyes  half  open  (coma  vigil)   it  indicates   ex- 
haustion and  pain.  Swelling  of  the  face,  particularly 
imder  the  eyes,  occurs  in  Bright's  disease  (disease 
of  the  kidneys).  An  expression  of  distress  often  ap- 
pears in  the  beginning  of  a  serious  illness.  The  over- 
bright  lustrous  eye,  pale  and  transparent  skin  and 
appearance  of  the  veins  well  marked,  hair  fine,  and 
intellect  precocious,  show  a  tendency  to  consump- 
tion.    The    face   becomes   sunken,   shrivelled   and 
senile    in  cholera  infantum  and  severe   diarrhoea. 


148  THE  BABY 

The  thick  muddy  skin,  thick  upper  lip,  glandular 
enlargements,  skin  eruptions  and  sore  eyes,  are 
characteristic  of  scrofula.  When  there  is  profuse 
perspiration  of  the  head  while  the  child  is  asleep, 
and  general  tenderness  of  the  body  with  precocity, 
then  rickets  may  be  suspected. 

In  case  of  colic,  the  lips  are  drawn  apart,  and 
there  is  a  fretful  look.  Pressure  on  the  stomach 
increases  the  facial  expression  of  anguish.  Dark 
rings  around  the  mouth  and  under  eyes  that  are 
sunken,  occur  in  disease  of  the  abdomen.  The 
pupil  is  very  much  contracted  (sometimes  to  a 
pin's  point),  and  the  eye  is  brilliant  in  poisoning 
from  opium  (paregoric,  laudanum,  morphia,  sooth- 
ing syrup,  etc.).  In  inflammation  of  the  lungs,  the 
nostrils  are  drawn  upwards  and  in  quick  motion, 
which  indicates  pain,  associated  with  bronchitis, 
pneumonia  or  consumption. 

The  cry  of  the  child  is  shrill  and  sharp  and  soli- 
tary, in  disease  of  the  brain,  especially  in  hydrocep- 
halus (water  on  the  brain).  It  is  hoarse  and  crow- 
ing in  croup,  continuous  in  hunger  and  thirst,  and 
in  earache,  or  the  pricking  of  a  pin,  or  intense  itch- 


THE  BABY  149 

ing;  it  is  somewhat  labored  or  smothered  in  pneu- 
monia. 

The  abdomen  is  swollen  and  hard  in  colic. 

The  little  hand  is  put  to  the  head,  or  the  hair 
is  pulled  in  headache  or  irritation  of  the  brain;  it 
is  put  to  the  ear  in  earache. 

The  limbs  are  motionless  in  paralysis. 

The  character  of  the  cough,  the  color,  consis- 
tency and  frequency  of  the  evacuations  from  the 
bowels  and  bladder,  the  amount  of  food  and  sleep 
the  child  has  received,  the  condition  of  the  skin, 
etc.,  should  all  be  noticed  in  every  case  of  illness, 
so  that  the  physician  can  be  apprized  thereof. 

What  has  been  said  so  far  will  suffice  for  mother 
and  child  under  all  ordinary  circumstances;  in  ex- 
traordinary ones,  the  physician  must  be  summoned 
at  once.  Let  mothers  bear  in  mind  that  they  have 
in  their  hands  as  it  were,  the  moulding  of  their 
offspring,  for  ''childhood  shows  the  man,  as  morn- 
ing shows  the  day."  Let  mothers  be  solicitous  for 
the  health  of  their  darlings,  but  be  no  less  anxious 
in  regard  to  their  training. 

Let  fathers  and  mothers  in  rearing  their  children 


150  THE  BABY 

follow  the  wise  counsels  of  Quarles,  the  eminent 
writer,  contained  in  those  well  pointed  words: 

"Be  very  vigilant  over  thy  child  in  the  April  of 
his  understanding,  lest  the  frost  of  May  nip  his 
blossoms.  While  he  is  a  tender  twig,  straighten 
him;  such  as  thou  makest  him,  such  commonly 
shalt  thou  find  him.  Let  his  first  lesson  be  obed- 
ience, and  his  second  shall  be  what  thou  wilt." 


CHAPTER  VIII 

AIR 

Atmospheric  air  is  well  known  to  be  a  compound 
gas;  its  constituents  are  nitrogen  gas  and  oxygen 
gas.  Of  these,  nitrogen  forms  four-fifths  and  oxy- 
gen forms  one  fifth  of  its  weight.  The  lungs,  as 
we  have  before  remarked,  are  the  organs  of  breath- 
ing, and  the  air  enters  the  lungs  containing  oxygen 
twenty-one  parts,  nitrogen  seventy-nine  parts  in 
one  hundred. 

When  exhaled,  (coming  out  of  the  lungs),  it 
consists  of  oxygen  sixteen  parts,  of  nitrogen  seven- 
ty-nine parts,  of  carbonic  acid  five  parts.  It  will 
therefore  be  seen  that  in  cleansing  or  purifying  the 
blood,  it  has  lost  oxygen  and  received  carbonic  acid 
gas.  Thus  it  is  more  impure  when  exhaled  by  the 
lungs.  These  two  gases,  oxygen  and  nitrogen, 
differ  greatly  in  their  properties.  Nitrogen  in  this 
connection  has  no  decidedly  active  properties.     It 

(151) 


152  AIR 

is  not  a  supporter  of  combustion,  nor  of  animal  life, 
and  has  no  power  of  destroying  either. 

What  its  peculiar  object,  if  any,  in  respiration  or 
whait  its  action  upon  the  blood  may  be,  has  not 
yet  been  satisfactorily  determined.  It  would  seem 
to  be  present  in  the  air  in  such  an  abundance, 
principally  as  a  diluent  of  the  oxygen  whose  prop- 
erties in  a  state  of  purity  would  be  too  active. 

Oxygen,  on  the  other  hand,  possesses  exceed- 
ingly powerful  properties.  It  is  this  which  gives 
to  the  blood  its  healthy  quality  and  bright  color, 
and  relieves  it  from  its  impurities.  It  imparts  to 
the  brain,  -the  muscles,  the  stomach,  the  heart  and 
every  other  organ,  a  principle  which  gives  them 
energy  and  power,  and  keeps  alive  the  body  by 
removing  from  it  those  substances  whose  accumu- 
lation would  destroy  it. 

The  food  which  we  take  into  the  stomach  under- 
goes several  changes  before  it  is  prepared  to  enter 
the  circulation.  It  is  finally  poured  into  the  cur- 
rent of  the  blood  as  the  latter  is  about  entering 
the  right  side  of  the  heart  prior  to  its  being  trans- 
mitted through  the  lungs.  It  is  not  yet  blood;  it 
has  neither  the  color  nor  the  chemical  property 


AIR  153 

of  that  important  fluid.     The  air  is  necessary  for 
this  final  change  or  transition.     Respiration  may 
therefore  be  regarded  as  the  last  act  of  digestion 
and  essential  to  it.     Without  the  atmosphere,  the 
food  would  be  useless.     It  is  indeed  rare  in  this 
country  when  a  sufficiency  of  food  cannot  be  ob- 
tained.    But  we  cannot  inhale  the  air  in  too  great 
a  quantity,  or  too  pure  a  quality.    While  a  healthy 
person  may  exist  without  any  additional  food  for 
weeks,  the  exclusion  of  atmospheric  air  from  the 
lungs  for  the  space  of  three  minutes  would  gener- 
ally cause  the  death  of  the  individual.     We  can 
therefore  easily  perceive  that  the  posture  of  lean- 
ing  over   a  desk  or  bench,  as  is  often  the  case  in 
schools,    offices    and     shops,    contracts    the    mo- 
tion of  the  lungs,  impedes  the  function  of  the  stom- 
ach; and  the  inhalation  of  air,  so   charged  as  it 
generally  is  with  carbonic  acid  gas,  saps  the  con- 
stitution by  slow  approaches.    Air  may  be  consid- 
ered the  chief  thing  that  the  body  wants,  though 
it  is  true  that  we  cannot  live  on  air,  but  require  also 
food  and  drink.     The  stories,  truthful  and  histori- 
cal, that  have  been  narrated  of  the  numbers  who 
died  in  the  ''black  hole"  of  Calcutta,  and  the  holds 


154  AIR 

of  emigrant  ships  that  formerly  plowed  the 
Atlantic,  are  evidences  of  the  dreadful  and  fatal 
results  of  the  exclusion  of  air,  and  over-crowding 
in  a  space  too  confined  and  too  close.  Probably 
the  most  important  question  that  confronts  the 
people,  especially  in  the  cities  of  this  country,  is 
that  of  air  sufficiently  pure  to  give  more  red  blood, 
better  digestion,  and  to  better  invigorate  the  muscu- 
lar and  nervous  systems.  Many  of  the  large  depart- 
ment stores  and  offices  with  their  artificial  modes  of 
heating  and  ventilation,  now  in  vogue,  are  nothing 
more  than  disease-breeding  localities,  owing  to  the 
lack  of  fresh  air.  Our  sky-scraping  buildings  may 
present  thoughts  and  ideas  of  modern  progress  to 
the  eye  of  the  business  man,  but  to  the  physician, 
many  of  them  are  insidious  death-traps.  Sunlight 
and  sunlit  rooms  are  at  a  discount  in  the  houses  of 
commerce  and  trade.  Hotels  are  built  so  that  the 
modern  troglodytes  who  live  there,  must  eat,  drink, 
sleep,  and  use  the  least  possible  amount  of  exer- 
cise, and  inhale  as  little  fresh  air  as  possible.  Elec- 
tric lights  that  are  really  "dark  with  excessive 
brightness"  burn  brightly  at  noonday  in  the  base- 
ments and  offices  of  hotels  and  business  houses, 


AIR  155 

and  the  Holy  Light,  "offering  of  heaven,  first  born, 
solar  light,"   is   excluded.     In   the   summer  time, 
those    luxuriously   furnished    and   highly    polished 
apartments  have,  owing  to  their  peculiar  construc- 
tion, a  close,  debilitating  and  stuffy  atmosphere. 
In  winter  a  temperature  of  about  80  degrees  per- 
vades those  buildings  internally,  while  the  mercury 
is  often  many  degrees  below  the  freezing  point  out 
of  doors.    The  unfortunate  cave-dweller,  who  lives 
under  such  conditions,  cannot  continue  in  the  pos- 
session of  good  health  for  many  years.     Such  an 
existence  d'oes  not  tend  to  longevity. 

The  shop   girl,  who  hurriedly   eats  a  piece  of 
bread  and  butter  and  takes  a  cup  of  coffee  for  break- 
fast, enters  the  street-car,  crowded  almost  to  suffo- 
cation by  persons  going  to  their  different  places  of 
employment;  and  then  is  incarcerated  afterwards  for 
hours  in  some  business  dungeon,  without  having 
the  privilege  of  resting  her  weary  limbs  even  for 
a  moment;    she  has  little  appetite  for   her   scanty 
lunch,  and  less,  for  the  evening  meal  when  she  re- 
turns home  jaded,  fatigued  and  exhausted.     Lack 
of  fresh  air,  proper  exercise  and  sunlight,  produce, 
the  pale  complexion  that  shows  the  debility  which 


156  AIR 

characterizes  her  nervous  system.  This  unnatural 
mode  of  living  v^ill,  in  the  course  of  time,  bring 
about  a  condition  of  marked  invaHdism.  And  the  un- 
fortunate victim  becomes  an  easy  prey,  owing  to 
the  lessened  power  of  vital  resistance,  for  the  germs 
of  consumption  to  feast  upon.  Such  a  person  is 
still  more  liable  to  develop  consumption  Vv^hen 
closely  associated  either  in  store,  street-car,  or  at 
home,  with  those  suffering  from  that  fearful  disease; 
the  greatest  exterminator  of  the  human  race.  While 
municipal  legislation  in  the  matter  of  cleanliness  is 
now  practically  confined  to  filthy  gutters  and  alleys, 
whose  obnoxious  odors  wound  the  sensibilities  of 
our  olfactories,  we  have  not  yet  progressed  so  far 
as  to  consider  the  close  and  corrupted  air  of  stores 
and  factories  as  injurious  to  our  health.  We  hope 
a  revolution  in  favor  of  purer  air  and  sufficient  time 
for  meals  for  those  who  are  employed  as  wage  earn- 
ers will  become  a  question  for  serious  consideration 
in  the  councils  of  legislation  in  our  cities. 

Every  janitor  of  a  school-room,  church  or  public 
hall,  should  be  required  to  have  all  the  windows 
open  for  at  least  fifteen  minutes  after  the  occupants 
have  dispersed,  and  also  before  their  assembling; 


AIR  157 

care  being  taken  to  properly  ventilate  the  building 
while  the  audience  is  in  session.  As  a  rule  the 
windows  are  closed  before  the  people  leave,  and 
the  stifling,  filthy  air  remains  to  be  inhaled  by  the 
occupants  that  form  the  next  assemblage;  then 
possibly  the  windows  are  raised  sparingly,  rather 
than  lowered  as  should  be  done  that  the  warm  air 
may  ascend  and  relieve  the  oppression  caused  by 
carbonic  acid  poisoning.  We  pity  the  unfortunate 
sufferers  of  the  bubonic  plague  in  India;  let  us  also 
have  some  commiseration  for  the  thousands  and 
thousands  who  are  sick  and  die  from  dirty  air,  laden 
with  disease-breeding  germs  inhaled  in  such  places. 

"God  lent  his  creature  light  and  air 

And  waters  open  to  the  skies; 
Man  locks  him  to  a  stifling  lair 
And  wonders  why  his  brother  dies." 
It  has  often  been  a  matter  of  surprise  that  the 
Knights  of  Labor,  and  other  allied  organizations, 
have  not  demanded  purer  air  in  the  workshops. 

Those  who  are  assiduously  employed  in  sedentary 
occupations  should  not  fail,  during  the  enervating 
period  of  summer,  to  take  a  few  weeks'  outing 
and   enjoy  the  quiet  shade  of  the  breezy  hilltop, 


158  AIR 

breathing  the  ozone-laden  air  from  a  Northern 
Lake,  or  the  bracing-  atmosphere  wafted  from  the 
sea.  While  physicians  may  differ  about  minute 
matters,  they  are  all  agreed  that  the  mountain 
breeze  is  far  more  salubrious  than  the  sev/er's  blast. 
Not  only  should  an  outing  from  the  city  to  the 
country  be  recommended,  but  a  complete  change 
in  regard  to  latitude  and  altitude  is  at  times  neces- 
sary. A  few  degrees  farther  North,  high  and  dry, 
should  be  selected  as  an  advantageous  location  for 
the  purpose  o-f  recuperating  in  summer.  The  clerk, 
business  man  or  professional  man,  whose  duties  de- 
mand a  considerable  portion  of  indoor  life,  render- 
ing him  debilitated  and  nervous,  will  gain  more  by 
selecting  such  a  spot  than  by  basking  in  society 
under  pretence  of  regaining  health  at  one  of  our 
fashionable  Springs.  To  eat,  dress,  drink,  lounge 
and  smoke,  seems  to  be  the  desideratum  of  many 
of  those  that  go  to  the  Springs  for  the  ostensible 
purpose  of  strengthening  their  debilitated  consti- 
tutions. Unless  their  livers  and  kidneys,  the  great 
eliminators  of  the  body,  are  not  fulfilling  their  func- 
tions, it  is  the  sheerest  folly  for  the  delicate  and 
pre-senile,  not  to  select  a  dry  and  elevated  location, 


AIR  158 


and  be  free  from  the  conventionalities  of  dress  and 
etiquette. 

At  no  period  in  the  world's  history  was  the  strug- 
gle for  existence  so  severe  and  the  population  in 
large  cities  so  congested  as  it  is  at  the  present  time, 
and  consequently  the  supply  of  air  is  inadequate 
for  the  healthy  sustenance  of  all.     Sedentary  occu- 
pations have  increased  and  machinery  has  almost 
entirely  done  away  with  the  necessity  of  manual  la- 
bor and  brawny  muscles,  so  that  the  nervous  system 
involving  brain  work  and  mental  anxiety  now  bears 
the  brunt  of  disease.     The  farmer  no  longer  toils 
with  the  spade,  shovel  or  rake,  as  machinery  has 
revolutionized  labor  on  the  farm.     This  wear  and 
tear  of  life  requires  not  so  much  the  necessity  of 
medication  as  that  of  pure  air  and  proper  exercise. 
How  few  patients,  who  consult  the  physician,  deem 
the  question  of  pure  air  of  any  importance  as  a 
remedial  agent  to  strengthen  their  debilitated  con- 
stitutions.   They  seek  medicine  and  expect  that,  in 
confined  houses  and  close  surroundings,  they  may 
look  for  relief  for  their  broken  down  system,  which 
requires  pure  air,  par  excellence,  as  the  most  im- 
portant factor  for  their  relief.    The  tendency  in  the 


160  AIR 

present  fashionable  style  of  architecture  in  our  cities 
is  unfortunately  to  minimize  space,  and  to  have 
rooms  as  small  as  posible,  and  Avindows  so  arranged 
as  to  exclude  the  air  as  much  as  possible.  We 
cannot  therefore  be  surprised  at  the  blanched  ap- 
pearance of  those  that  live  in  the  cities  engaged  in 
sedentary  occupations  and  living  in  such  unhealthy 
habitations.  Parents,  who  look  after  the  comforts 
of  their  children  giving  them  proper  food  and  rai- 
ment, and  neglect  to  investigate  the  workshops  or 
offices  in  which  they  are  employed,  not  being  sup- 
plied with  fresh  air,  are  guilty  of  a  criminal  act. 
It  is  equally  important,  if  not  more  so,  to  obtain 
air  for  nourishment,  as  well  as  food.  The  consump- 
tion ol  a  large  amount  of  out-door  exercise,  and 
the  employment  of  a  large  amount  of  muscular 
activities  in  this  out-door  air,  are  the  great  high- 
ways to  a  vigorous  appetite,  a  good  digestion,  fine 
health,  and  exemption  from  disease.  How  impor- 
tant it  is,  then,  to  spend  some  time  in  the  country 
every  year,  and  enjoy  the  beauty  of  rural  scenes 
and  the  healthfulness  of  country  life!  The  follow- 
ing from  Herder  is  worth  noting  here: 


AIR  161 

"The  resolution  of  my  friend  to  change 

His  walled  prison  for  a  rural  seat 

I  much  applaud — why  should  we  foolishly 

Pile  up  in  lofty  towers  the  hard  hewn  rock 

To  fright  us  with  their  sudden  fall,  or  hide 

From  our  dark  eyes  the  cheering  face  of  heaven? 

Not  so  in  former  days  lived  the  young  world 

In  innocence  and  peace.    Free  from  such  folly, 

'Midst  rural  scenes — ^there,  harmless  mirth  prevails, 

There  we  behold  the  wide-expanded  heaven; 

No  neighbor  robs  us  of  the  light  of  day; 

And  from  the  clear  fresh  spring    Apollo  bids  us 

Assuage  our  thirst  with  his  own  liquor. 

Oh!  did  all  men  know  what  is  happiness! 

Our  mother  Nature  ne'er  within  dark  cities, 

Or  gloomy  walls  and  castles,  it  confined. 

On  the  fair  plains  it  blooms  for  one  and  all. 

Those  find  it  oft  who  seek  it  not;  and  he 

Who  spurns  base  ore  will  enjoy — His  treasure  . 

Is  what  the  earth  presents;   in  the  bright  stream 

He  sees  his  silver;  and  his  gold  shoots  up 

In  yellow  corn  or  smiles  from  fruitful  trees. 

He  hears  his  concert  in  the  shady  grove; 

And  there  his  chorus,  free  at  will  to  range, 


162  AIR 

Joins  in  the  mirthful  or  the  pensive  strain. 

Far  otherwise,  within  the  town  confined, 

The  captive  songster  in  its  cage  complains. 

The  slave  who  feeds  it  thinks  it  sings  alone 

To  please  its  master;  but  with  every  note 

It  bids  its  tyrant  give  it  liberty. 

Nature  delights  in  rural  scenes;  and  Art, 

Her  imitator,  there  must  follow  her 

With  timid  steps.     Of  foliage  ever  green 

Behold  yon  place,  arch'd  with  thick  woven  boughs! 

Where  thou  may'st  sit,  like  Persia's  boasted  lord, 

In  halls  of  cedar — and  'midst  peace  enjoy. 

What  he  ne'er  knows,  sound,  sweet,  refreshing  sleep. 

Great  cities  are  great  plagues!     There,  native  joy 

Flies  from  man's  breast,  and  makes  him  pleasure 

seek 
In  art  alone.    There,  everything  by  paint 
Is  seen  disguised — the  countenance  and  walls, 
Each  action,  word,  and  e'en  the  very  heart. 
All  there  consists  of  costly  wood  or  stone; 
Their  very  owners  seem  as  hard  as  these. 
O  rural  life,  'midst  poverty  how  rich! 
When  hunger  bids,  there  thou  mayst  nobly  feast 
On  what  each  season  for  thy  use  brings  forth, 


AIR  163 

In  rich  variety.    The  plough  thy  table; 
And  a  green  leaf,  by  way  of  dish,  supports 
Thy  meal  of  fruit.    A  homely  wooden  jug 
Draws  up  refreshing  drink  from  the  pure  stream. 
Which,  free  from  poison,  pours  out  health  alone, 
And  with  soft  murmur  thee  to  sleep  invites; 
While,  in  the  air,  the  lark  high-soaring  sings— 
Now  mounting  up,  again  descending  low — 
Until,  at  length,  it  drops  into  its  nest 
Just  at  thy  foot,  between  two  furrows  placed." 

When  we  breathe  the  same  air  over  and  over 
again,  we  gradually  vitiate  it  by  the  constant  ex- 
halation of  carbonic  acid,  which  gradually  brings 
the  air  up  to  the  point  where  the  difference  between 
it  and  the  blood,  as  regards  the  property  of  car- 
bonic acid,  disappears.  When  a  person  is  placed 
in  an  atmosphere  which  is  overcharged  with  car- 
bonic acid,  it  is  equivalent  to  a  gradual  hinderance 
of  his  breathing  at  all.  Suffocation  may  gradually 
result  from  this  condition,  just  as  if  the  air  were 
totally  intercepted.  The  patient,  suffering  with  an 
affection  of  the  lungs,  whether  acute  or  chronic, 
such  as  pneumonia,  pleurisy,  bronchitis  or  con- 
sumption, requires  better  and  purer  air,  if  it  can 


164  AIR 

possibly  be  obtained,  than  he  needs  in  a  condition 
of  good  health.  When  a  person  is  compelled  to 
breathe  from  thirty  to  sixty  times  a  minute,  as  is 
the  case  in  those  diseases,  instead  of  seventeen  to 
twenty-two  times  in  health,  more  oxygen  is  re- 
quired to  sustain  the  vital  power.  An  erroneous 
idea  prevails  that  a  patient,  suffering  with  an  affec- 
tion of  the  lungs,  should  be  kept  in  a  close,  warm 
room.  The  constant  and  rapid  inhalation  and  ex- 
halation of  air  under  such  circumstances  tend  to 
render  the  air  still  more  impure,  deleterious  and 
poisonous.  We  believe  that  in  a  few  years  hence, 
patients,  suffering  from  affections  of  the  lungs,  will 
be  placed  out  of  doors  when  the  air  is  dry  and  cool 
and  not  humid,  with  much  better  prospects  for 
recovery.  Humidity  of  the  atmosphere  seems  to 
be  its  most  dangerous  condition.  How  strange  it 
is  that  we  so  often  see  a  person  suffering  with  pneu- 
monia cooped  in  a  room,  8  feet  by  10,  because  it 
is  close  and  warm  and  comfortable  in  the  estima- 
tion of  friends  and  relatives,  who  should  know  that 
death  may  result  in  consequence. 

The    windows    are    tightly    closed    and    every 
draught  of  fresh  air  is  carefully  excluded  from  the 


AIR  ^65 

room.    Alas!    Such  an  individual  did  not  receive 

sufficient  air  or  death  might  not  have  taken  place. 
After  dissolution,what  pains  are  often  taken  by  sym- 
pathetic and  lachrymose  relatives  that  the  bo<iy,now 
cold  in  death,  be  properly  cared  for  and  placed  in 
the  nicest,  most  pleasant,  and  airiest  room  in  the 
house  with  plenty  of  fresh  air!    Fresh  air  was  need- 
ed to  keep  the  patient  alive,  but  he  was  deprived 
of  it;  and  now,  when  absolutely  not  needed,  the 
windows  of  the  room  in  which  the  body  is  placed 
in  cleanly  and  costly  habilim.ents   and   expensive 
coffin  with  a  profusion  of  flowers,  are  raised,  in- 
viting the  gentle  zephyrs  to  mingle  with  the  de- 
lightful aroma  which  pervades  the  room.    Not  only 
was  sufficient  air  in  quantity  and  quality  at  a  dis- 
count, but  the  use  of  soap  and  water  for  the  removal 
of  filth  was  in  all  probability  neglected,  during  the 
illness  of  the  deceased.     The  funeral  display  has 
gradually  and  increasingly  grown  to  be  a  very  ex- 
pensive outfit  for  the  dead;   a  veritable  Juggernaut 
for  the  kind  but   emotional  poor.     Hundreds   of 
dollars,  yea,  often  thousands,  are  lavishly  expended 
for  the  grave  and  its  victim,  yet  a  few  dollars  were 
probably  given  very  parsimoniously  for  the  neces- 


166  AIR 

saries  to  prolong  or  save  the  life  of  the  invalid.  A 
witty  and  sarcastic  Frenchman  has  said  with  possi- 
bly some  unction  of  truth  that  the  graveyards  ol 
the  United  States  will  yet  be  turned  into  gold  fields. 
It  is  not  the  intention  of  the  writer  to  cast  any  op- 
probrium on  the  nobility  of  sentiment  and  affection- 
ate regard, that  tends  to  a  proper  interment  of  the 
dead;  but  it  is  the  duty  of  every  honest  practitioner 
of  medicine,  who  has  visited  the  haunts  of  poVerty 
and  destitution  in  any  of  our  large  cities,  to  raise 
his  voice  against  the  ridiculous,  nonsensical,  ex- 
travagant display  exhibited  at  funerals  through  a 
false  sense  of  pride,  whilst  children  at  the  home  of 
the  deceased  are  suffering  for  the  necessaries  of  life. 
Oh,  decent  funeral!  What  crimes  against  right  and 
justice  to  impoverished  families  have  been  done 
in  thy  name! 

"Ye  undertakers!  tell  us, 
'Midst  all  the  gorgeous  figures  you  exhibit, 
Why  is  the  principal  concealed,  for  which 
You  make  this  mighty  stir? 

"Why   is   the   hearse   with   'scutcheons    blazoned 

round, 
And  with  the  nodding  plume  of  ostrich  crowned? 


AIR  167 

No;  the  dead  know  it  not,  nor  profit  gain; 
It  only  sei'ves  to  prove  the  living,  vain." 

Prompted  by  vanity,  oftener  than  by  sincere  ties 
of  affection,  many  relicts — Christian  people — vie 
with  each  other  in  erecting  elegant  and  expensive 
monuments  with  emblazoned  inscriptions  over  the 
graves  of  the  dead,  "the  sole  commonwealth  which 
attains  that  dead-flat  of  social  equality,  which  life 
in  its  very  principle  as  heartily  abhors,"  while  hos- 
pitals, reformatory  institutions,  and  orphan  asylums, 
call  in  vain  for  funds  to  preserve  and  protect  the 
lives  of  the  unfortunate  delinquents  and  waifs  that 
have  been  committed  to  their  care.  Let  the  practice 
of  endowing  beds  in  hospitals,  giving  means  for  the 
purpose  of  elevating  and  improving  the  condition  of 
the  moral  and  physical  obliquity  of  humanity,  be 
popularized,  by  contributing  toward  the  support  of 
such  noble  purposes  to  assist  the  living,  instead  of 
expending  so  much  money  for  showy  funerals  and 
costly  monuments  that  cannot  help  the  dead. 

"Praises  on  tombstones  are  oft  vainly  spent. 

A  man's  good  deeds  is  his  best  monument.'* 


CHAPTER  IX 

FOOD 

We  eat  to  live;  and  if  we  partake  wisely  of  what 
the  Lord  has  provided  we  shall  live  well,  health- 
fully and  long.  Food  is  fuel,  which  is  digested  in 
the  stomach  and  bowels.  It  gives  heat  and  gener- 
ates force,  as  coal  is  burned  to  run  a  steam- 
engine.  For  the  production  of  vigorous  mus- 
cular and  nervous  force,  healthy  food  and  good 
digestion  are  necessary  conditions.  While  animal 
food  yields  more  blood  and  nourishment  than  a 
vegetable  diet,  it  must  not  be  forgotten  that,  in 
order  to  be  beneficial  to  us,  a  greater  amount  of 
physical  labor  is  required  for  its  consumption. 
When  we  eat  more  than  is  necessary  for  the  proper 
sustenance  of  our  bodies,  the  excretory  organs, 
(liver  and  kidneys  especially)  are  often  irritated  and 
inflamed  in  their  efforts  to  get  rid  of  the  surplus. 
As  soon  as  food  enters  the  stomach,  the  follicles 

(168) 


FOOD  168 

like  small,  infinitesimal  spring  wells,  send  forth  gas- 
tric juice  which  disintegrates,  softens  and  liquifies 
the  food.  This  healthful  digestion  is  sometimes 
described  as  the  returning  process.  The  muscles  are 
in  continual  motion,  pressing  the  food  in  a  kind  of 
circular  direction;  and  to  do  this  there  must  be 
room  for  a  ''purchase,"  a  point  to  push  from,  and 
an  open  field  to  push  into,  so  that  it  is  easier  when 
such  is  the  case,  than  when  there  is  unnatural  dis- 
tension by  over-eating.  There  is  no  more  room 
for  work,  and  the  food  cannot  therefore  be  properly 
manipulated.  If  the  food  is  bad  or  masticated  in 
large  pieces,  it  is  kept  longer  in  the  stomach  than 
nature  designed.  The  gastric  juice  is  unable  fully 
to  do  its  work,  and  decomposition,  and  not  diges- 
tion, is  the  result. 

Hence  the  uncomfortable  feeling  of  indigestion, 
the  sour  eructations  of  gas,  caused  by  the  slow  de- 
cay of  the  food.  Before  the  five  hours  have  expired 
for  the  working  up  of  the  food,  the  next  regular 
meal  arrives;  the  stomach  is  set  to  work  anew, 
without  a  moment's  rest.  It  is  overworked,  it  loses 
its  power,  it  is  weak,  or  does  its  work  with  difficulty. 
This  is  literally  dyspepsia.     From  this,  learn  that 


170  FOOD 

you  should  never  eat  so  Pxiuch  that  3'ou  feel  you 
have  a  stomach.  It  would  be  best  to  stop  before 
you  are  completely  sated.  The  quantity  of  food 
must  be  always  proportioned  to  one's  daily  labor; 
the  less  the  labor,  the  less  ought  to  be  the  nourish- 
ment. 

Average  Time  of  Digestion 

Articles  of  Diet.  Preparaiions.  H.  M. 

Rice Boiled 1 . 

Tripe,  soused Boiled 1. 

Eggs  whipped Raw 1.30 

Trout,  salmon,  fish Fried 1.30 

Soup,  barley Boiled 1.30 

Apples,  sweet,  mellow ,  Raw 1 .  30 

Venison  steak .Boiled 1.35 

Sago Boiled 1.45 

Tapioca Boiled  ...2. 

Barley Boiled  2. 

Milk Boiled 3. 

Eggs,  fresh Rav/ 2. 

Codfish,  cured  dry Boiled 2. 

Cabbage,  with  vinegar Raw 3.  ^y' 

Milk Raw 2.15 


FOOD  171 

Articles  of  Diet.  Preparations.  H.  M. 

E^^s,  fresh Roasted    2.15 

Gelatine Boiled  2.30 

Turkey,  domestic , Roasted    2.30 

Lamb,  fresh Broiled 2.30 

Hash,  meat,  vegetables Warmed 2.30 

Beans,  pod Boiled  2.30 

Cake,  sponge Baked  2.30 

Parsnips Boiled 2.30 

Potatoes,  Irish Baked  2.30 

Cabbage,  head Raw 2 .  30 

Chicken,  full-grown Fricasseed  .  . .  .2.40 

Custard Baked  2.45 

Beef,  with  salt  only Boiled 2.45 

Oysters,  fresh Raw 2.55 

Eggs,  fresh Soft-boiled  ...  .3. 

Bass,  stripped,  fresh Broiled 3. 

Beef,  fresh,  lean,  rare Roasted    3. 

Pork,  recently  salted Stewed   3 . 

Mutton,  fresh Boiled 3 . 

Dumpling,  apple Boiled 3 . 

Cake,  corn Baked  3 . 

Beefsteak Broiled 3 . 

Mutton,  fresh Broiled 3. 


172  FOOD 

Articles  of  Diet.  Preparations.  H.  M. 

Oysters,  baked  (2) Roasted    3.15 

Pork,  recently  salted Broiled 3.15 

Pork  steak Broiled 3.15 

Mutton,  fresh,  baked  (3) Broiled  ...... .3.15 

Bread,  corn Baked  3.15 

Catfish,  fresh Fried 3.30 

Oysters,  fresh .Stewed   3.30 

Beef,  fresh  lean,  dry Roasted    3 .  30 

Butter Melted   3.30 

Cheese,  old,  strong Raw 3 .  30 

Soup,  mutton Boiled  3.30 

Oyster Boiled  ... . 3.30 

Bread,  wheat,  fresh Baked  3.30 

Turnips,  flat Boiled  3.30 

Eggs,  fresh Hard-boiled  ..  .3.30 

Eggs,  fresh Fried 3.30 

Green  corn  and  beans Boiled  3 .  45 

Beets Boiled  3.45 

Salmon,  salted ,  Boiled 4 . 

Beef Fried 4. 

Veal,  fresh Broiled 4. 

Fowls,  domestic Roasted    4. 

Ducks,  domestic Roasted   4. 


FOOD  173 

Articles  of  Diet.  Preparations.  H.  M, 

Soup,  beef,  vegetables,  bread.   Boiled 4. 

Soup,  marrowbones Boiled  4.15 

Veal,  fresh Fried 4.30 

Ducks,  wild Roasted    4.30 

Cabbage Boiled 4.30 

Pork,  fat  and  lean Roasted   5.15 

From  the  above  list  it  appears  that  pork  requires 
five  hours  and  fifteen  minutes  for  digestion,  while 
rice  is  digested  in  one  hour.    Hence  the  importance 
of  avoiding  these  articles  of  food  that  are  hard  to 
digest,  in  diseases  of  the  stomach  and  bowels,  aich 
as  dyspepsia,  diarrhoea,  etc.,  while  in  constipation, 
rough  foods,  such  as  rye  and  cabbage  with  fruit 
(apples,  prunes,  etc.)  can  be  advantageously  used. 
Our   food   passes   through   several   changes,   or 
states,  before  it  becomes  arterial  blood,  fit  to  sustain 
the  body.      First,  it  is  masticated   in  the   mouth 
where  it  is  or  should  be  well  mixed  with  the  saliva 
(spittle);  and  there  the  first  process  of  digestion 
commences.     Second,  in  the  stomach  the  gastric 
juice  changes  it  into  chyme.     Third,  in  the  intes- 
tines it  is  converted  into  chyle,  except  the  useless 
part.     The  blood  consists  of  very  small  globules 


174  FOOD 

or  little  balls,  imperceptible  to  the  naked  eye.  Let 
them  be  considered  as  laborers,  of  whom  there  is 
an  immense  number;  the  body  is  the  world  contain- 
ing a  great  many  forests,  farms,  towns,  and  cities, 
a  commercial,  mechanical  and  farming  world,  in 
which  all  kinds  of  work  is  carried  on,  especially  that 
of  building  and  improving.  The  food  is  the  build- 
ing material  which  passes  through  a  variety  of 
hands  and  receives  its  finishing  touches  in  the 
lungs.  Each  globule  is  a  v/orkman  which  goes 
from  the  heart  to  the  lungs  for  its  load  and  returns 
to  the  heart,  and  is  thence  sent  into  the  arterial  road 
to  dispose  of  its  burden  where  it  is  needed ;  and  on 
its  return,  takes  the  venous  road  and  gathers  up 
all  the  rubbish  that  it  is  capable  of  managing,  tak- 
ing with  it  also  all  the  new  material  formed  through 
the  process  of  digestion,  and  returns  it  through  the 
heart  to  the  lunpfs,  v/here  it  disDOses  of  the  material 
and  retraces  its  steps,  and  thus  continues  its  labor. 
This  is  done  in  continual  progression,  three  or  four 
minutes  being  required  for  its  routine.  The  blood 
goes  out  In  the  arteries,  passes  into  the  capillaries 
which  appropriate  the  nourishment  to  every  organ 
and  outlet  through  the  body,  and   give  the  rest  to 


FOOD  176 

the  veins.  Food  may  be  .divided  into  two  classes; 
the  carbonaceous  or  non-nitrogenous  which  pos- 
sesses the  quahty  of  producing  heat  for  the  system. 
In  the  non-nitrogeneous  element  are  to  be  found 
potatoes  (starch),  vegetables,  and  the  nitrogeneous 
consists  principally  of  meats.  The  proper  diet  is 
of  course  a  mixed  one,  as  man  is  considered  om- 
nivorous. What  to  cat  and  what  not  to  eat,  de- 
pends, perhaps,  as  much  on  the  character  of  the 
stomach  as  on  the  quality  of  food.  Climate,  habit, 
environment  and  heredity  influence  to  a  great  ex- 
tent the  condition  of  the  stomach.  It  has  been 
truly  said,  that  one  man's  meat  is  another  man's 
poison.  The  American,  with  the  greatest  variety 
of  food  containing  as  a  rule  all  the  elements  neces- 
sary for  heat  and  force,  owing  to  his  peculiar  mode 
of  living,  including  the  artificiaHties  of  life,  suffers 
probably  more  from  dyspepsia  than  the  European. 
This  is  due  to  many  causes,  such  as  eating  rapidly, 
living  hurriedly,  the  mental  strain  of  unrest,  inci- 
dental to  a  grasping,  money-making  life,  and  last, 
but  not  least,  to  hasty  and  imperfect  cooking  of 
food. 

Imperfect  cooking  causes  more  derangement  of 


176  FOOD 

the  digestive  organs  than  the  excessive  use  of  meat. 
The  frying  pan  has  been  a  proHfic  source  of  dyspep- 
sia in  this  country.  A  more  generaj  use  of  the  grid- 
iron would  be  a  decided  benefit.  (Imperfect  cook- 
ing and  indigestible  food  are  often  the  cause  of 
many  good  men  indulging  too  freely  in  drink,  and 
eventually  becoming  drunkards!) 

A  mixture  of  the  starchy  food,  potatoes,  vege- 
tables and  bread,  with  the  nitrogenous,  constitutes 
the  best  diet.  If  an  excess  of  potatoes  be  used,  fat 
and  bulk  are  produced,  but  strength  is  lacking; 
if,  however,  too  much  of  the  nitrogenous  element 
is  used,  the  liver  and  kidneys  v^ill  suffer  in  conse- 
quence. There  is  in  addition  to  the  strength-giving 
and  flesh-repairing  element  of  food,  the  health-pre- 
serving mineral  salts. 

The  use  of  spices,  condiments,  or  seasoning,  is 
reprehensible,  particularly  in  the  case  of  children. 
It  is  true  that  an  appetite,  injured  by  their  use, 
cannot  well  appreciate  the  flavor  of  elementary  sub- 
stances without  them,  but  they  create  a  false  appe- 
tite, and  render  children  entirely  too  choice  and 
namby-pamby  in  their  taste  for  food.  The  plainer, 
the  simpler,  and  more  easily  digested  the  food  is, 


FOOD  177 

the  better  results  will  be  obtained.  The  children 
of  the  wealthy  are  usually  pampered,  and  the  bad 
effects  of  the  ingestion  of  rich  pastries  and  con- 
diments are  observed  in  the  lack  of  proper  nutri- 
tion, owing  to  indigestion.  Oliver  Goldsmith  very 
truthfully  says,  "Oh,  the  delights  of  poverty  and 
an  appetite!  We  beggars  are  the  fondlings  of  na- 
ture; the  rich  she  treats  hke  an  arrant  step-mother; 
they  are  pleased  with  nothing;  cut  a  steak  from 
what  part  you  will,  they  are  never  satisfied;  it  is 
unsupportably  tough!  Dress  it  with  pickles,  and 
even  pickles  cannot  procure  them  an  appetite!  Joy! 
joy!  my  blood,  though  our  estates  lie  nowhere,  we 
have  a  fortune  wherever  we  go." 

No  other  country  has  such  a  variety  of  nourish- 
ing foods  and  excellent  fruits  to  make  man  the 
beau  ideal  of  physical  perfection;  and  it  can  be 
truly  said  that  the  wreckless  waste  of  food  products, 
which  pervades  nearly  all  classes,  is  sufificient  to 
properly  sustain  the  people  of  France,  or  Germany, 
or  Italy.  While  there  are  some  persons  with  a 
digestion  not  far  short  of  that  of  the  ostrich,  and 
with  the  appetite  of  a  bear,  and  w^ho,  like  the  lion 
and  other  carnivorous  animals,  can    enjoy    eating 


178  FOOD 

rapidly  and  suffer  very  little  inconvenience  there- 
from; yet  the  average  human  being  must  masticate 
food  slowly,  and  avoid  gulping  or  bolting,  so  that 
the  food  enters  the  stomach  as  proper  paste  food, 
ready  for  digestion.  We  know  some  instances  where 
rapid  eating  is  to  some,  as  compared  with  others, 
a  positive  enjoyment,  owing  to  the  possession  of 
sound  teeth  and  a  vigorous  constitution.  But  it 
is  almost  an  impossibility  for  such  a  habit,  if  con- 
tinued, not  to  be  followed  by  indigestion  and  im- 
paired health.  The  chemist,  actuated  by  a  spirit 
of  accurate  demonstration  of  facts,  would  feign 
make  us  believe  that  from  his  researches  in  the 
laboratory,  he  can  offer  to  us  the  exact  amount 
of  heat  and  force  contained  in  certain  kinds  of  food. 
This  may  appear  plausible  but  not  exact,  nor  true 
in  practice.  For,  nerve  tissue  is  never  precisely 
the  same  in  two  men,  nor  the  blood  of  tv/o  men 
alike,  nor  the  milk  of  two  women  alike,  nor  the 
saliva,  nor  the  gastric  juice.  It  follows  that,  while 
quantitative  analysis  is  a  very  pleasing  and  fascinat- 
ing subject,  yet  the  physiologist  recognizes  the  fact 
that  the  problem  of  life  is  still  unsolved,  and  vitality, 


FOOD  179 

or  the  exact  function,  or  work  or  capacity  of  an 
organ  cannot  be  precisely  determined. 

The  question  of  temperament,  habits,  inheritance 
and  environment  must  be  '  oiisidered  when  we  treat 
of  the  question  of  food.  It  is  not  so  much  the 
quantity  eaten  as  it  is  the  power  to  digest  and  as- 
similate what  has  been  eaten,  that  gives  strength. 
One  of  the  most  troublesome  affections  in  chil- 
dren during  the  summer,  is  marasmus,  (inanition, 
or  starvation),  which  may  occur  though  the  patient 
eats  too  much.  The  food  not  being  properly  as- 
similated, that  is,  not  converted  into  the  substance 
of  the  body,  causes  the  child  to  waste  away  almost 
to  the  condition  of  skin  and  bone.  Good  food  being 
so  abundant  in  the  United  States,  it  is  a  sad  com- 
mentary on  our  habits  of  life,  that  the  majority  of 
the  people  are  really  underfed,  and  not  a  few  over- 
fed. This  is  not  due  to  the  fact  that  there  is  not 
sufficient  food  on  the  tables  of  even  the  poorest, 
but  the  appetite  is  lacking,  digestion  impaired,  and 
good  assimilation  impossible  owing  to  our  cramped, 
confined,  indoor  life,  and  bad  cooking. 

If  the  appetite  is  good  and  a  large  quantity  of 
food  is  eaten  by  persons  whose  habits  of  life  are 


180  FOOD 

sedentary  and  get  little  exercise  in  the  open  air, 
there  is  then  the  danger  of  the  excretory  organs 
suffering  in  their  efforts  to  get  clear  of  the  surplus. 
Bright's  disease,  affections  of  the  liver,  as  well  as 
rheumatism  and  gout,"  afe^oTterf'tlie  result  of  an 
excess  of  food,  particularly  when  meats  have  been 
eaten,  without  sufificient  exercise  in  the  open  air 
to  produce  their  proper  assimilation.  Those  whose 
diet  is  plain,  and  who  abstain  from  the  ingestion 
of  an  excessive  quantity  of  food  or  alcohol  (wine, 
whisky  or  beer),  rarely  suffer  from  diseases  of  the 
liver  or  kidneys.  It  is  unfortunate  that  the  Ameri- 
can people  partake  so  freely  of  meat,  and  eat  so 
little  bread;  for  bread,  mJlk  and  eggs  form  almost 
a  perfect  diet.  Like  all  other  habits,  that  of  eating 
too  much,  grows,  and  becomes  pernicious.  Violent 
emotion  (joy,  anger,  fright),  during,  or  immediately 
after  meals,  will  disturb  in  an  astonishing  degree  the 
digestion  and  assimilation  of  food. 

In  the  evening  of  life,  when  the  vital  powers  show 
evidences  of  commencing  failure;  when  there  is  a 
lack  of  activity  of  the  muscular  and  other  systems, 
digestion  becomes,  as  a  pTi}^si61ogical  condition, 
enfeebled;  and  the  quantity  of  food  taken  at  one 


._>£3  ^v*  i 


FOOD 


time  should  then  be  diminished,  if  good  health  and 
longevity  are  to  be  secured.    After  the  age  of  fiftyj__i 


it  is  bothjwise  and  prudent  that  diet  be  curtailed, 
and  that  meats  and  the  use  of  alcohol  be  restricted^ 
and  an  abundance  of  fruit  and  milk  be  substituted. 
''  Fruits  should  be  more  freely  used  in  _the  diet  of_ 
those  of  advanced  age,  as  they  tend  to  relieve  the 
sluggishness  and  inertia  incidental  to  that  period 
of  life.     Ripe,n5ncobked '"apples   sTiould  be   eaten 
"    ^ity."  TKe~cHaracter  of  food  and  the  frequency  of 
"'meals  in  old  persons  should  be  somewhat  similar 
—  to  that  in  childhood.     Warmer  clothing  then  be- 
comes necessary  to  v/ard  off  the  ill  effects  of  sudden 
•  change*  of  temperature. 


CHAPTER  X 

DRINK 

Whiskey  contains  50  per  cent  of  alcohol,  and  beer 
4  to  6  per  cent.  Alcohol  in  prolonged  con- 
tact with  the  skin  excites  a  sense  of  heat,  and 
superficial  inflammation.  Taken  internally  in  small 
quantities  well  diluted,  it  stimulates  the  flow  of  the 
juices  of  the  stomach,  and  therefore  increases  the 
appetite.  But  its  habitual  or  excessive  use  over- 
stimulates  the  glands  of  the  stomach.  A  catarrh 
is  established  and  the  lining  membrane  and  tissues 
of  the  stomach  become  indurated.  Hence  the 
morning  sickness,  the  excessive  belching,  the  foul 
tongue,  and  unsteady  eye  of  the  habitual  drinker. 
As  alcohol  is  a  very  volatile  substance,  it  enters 
the  blood  with  great  facility,  and  the  liver  is  the 
first  organ  after  the  stomach  to  be  influenced  by  it. 
The  blood  containing  alcohol  is  carried  through 
the  delicate  cells  of  the  liver  and  these  are  at  first 

(182) 


DRINK  183 

stimulated  so  that  the  organ  becomes  larger,  but 
afterwards  they  are  shrunken,  and  the  liver  de- 
creases in  size  with  nodulations  on  it  like  hob  nails. 
Hence  cirrhosis  of  the  liver,  the  small  hob-nailed 
or  whiskey  liver  of  the  drunkard.  So  long  as  alco- 
holic drinks  improve  the  appetite,  do  not  hurt  the 
individual,  nor  disturb  the  condition  of  his  tongue, 
they  are  doing  no  harm,  and  they  may  be  even 
doing  good.  As  to  the  mischief  of  alcoholic  in- 
dulgence, to  say  that  it  is  bad,  morally,  physically, 
and  intellectually,  is  putting  it  mildly.  The  physi- 
cian must  neither  pander  to  a  popular  taste  for 
alcohoHc  beverages,  nor  be  afraid  of  the  strictures 
of  the  prohibitionist.  There  is  a  certain  unstable 
temperament  in  some  persons,  sometimes  acquired 
by  an  artificial  mode  of  living,  and  often  inherited. 
Persons  with  such  a  temperament  should  avoid  the 
taste  of  alcohol  as  they  would  the  bite  of  a  mad 
dog.  Those  can  say  with  Cassio  in  Othello  ''I  have 
poor  and  unhappy  brains  for  drinking;  I  could  well 
wish  courtesy  would  invent  some  other  custom  of 
entertainment" — ''I  have  drunk  but  one  cup  to- 
night and  that  was  craftily  qualified  too — and  be- 
hold what  innovation  it  makes  here.    I  am  unfortu- 


184  DRINK 

nate  in  the  infirmity,  and  dare  not  task  my  weak- 
ness with  any  more." 

We  are  fully  convinced  of  the  fact  that  the  ten- 
dency to  alcoholic  indulgence  in  families  is  often 
inherited,  and  the  under-fed  among  all  nations  and 
conditions  of  people,  civilized  and  uncivilized,  seem 
to  have  a  desire  or  taste  for  alcohol.  The  great 
danger  in  the  use,  or  rather  abuse  of  alcohol,  is 
taking  it  between  meals,  or  upon  an  empty  stomach. 
There  is  an  adage  that  "he  who  takes  whiskey 
habitually  in  the  morning  before  breakfast  is  far 
advanced  on  the  way  to  a  drunkard's  grave,"  As 
with  the  question  of  food,  so  it  is  with  whiskey. 
Each  case  possesses  its  individuality. 

Persons  who  enjoy  good  health  do  not  need  al- 
cohol either  in  the  form  of  whiskey,  wine  or  beer. 
In  case  of  a  shock  it  is  invaluable.    In  diseased  con-  ;   ,-  ^ 
ditions,  especially  when  characterized  by  a  weak 
heart  and  long  continued  high  temperature,  such  as  i 
in  typhoid-fever  and  consumption  where  there  is 
rapid  disintegration  of  tissue,  good  old  whiskey, well  j 
diluted  and  judiciously  administered  is  then  one  of  \ 
the  most  valuable  agents  we  possess.    It  is  unfortu-  | 
nate  that  so  much  new  whiskey,  charged  with  fusil  ] 


DRINK  185 

oil  is  allowed  to  be  drunk  in  the  community,  as  it 
tends  much  more  than  old  whiskey  does  to  induce 
the  delirium  resulting  in  the  fearful  crimes  of  vio- 
lence that  blacken  the  history  of  our  country.  The 
excessive  use  of  strong  drinks  will  make  the  stom- 
ach a  rebel  to  the  nervous  system,  will  make  the 
mind  a  prisoner,  will  unman  and  prostrate  the  in- 
dividual. An  early  and  unhonored  grave  is  the 
reward  of  a  drunkard. 

Pure  alcohol  is  almost  wholly  carbon,  but  is 
consumed  too  rapidly  to  be  recognized  as  a  healthy 
food  substance,  like  other  carbonaceous  (heat  giv- 
ing) foods,  such  as  sugar,  starch  and  fats.  It  acts 
as  a  spur  to  the  jaded  horse  and  possibly  for  a  time 
gives  energy  to  the  system,  but  its  continued  use 
is  detrimental,  as  it  affects  the  vitality  of  the  cells. 

If  better  or  more  substantial  food,  carbonaceous 
and  nitrogenous,  properly  cooked  were  placed  on 
our  tables,  many  mothers  would  be  spared  the  ruin 
and  disgrace  of  profligate  husbands  and  degenerate 
children,  caused  by  indulgence  in  alcoholic  drinks. 

Water  must  be  considered  more  essential  to  our 
existence  than  any  other  liquid,  as  it  is  unquestion- 
ably the  natural  drink  of  adults,  and  meets  the 


186  DRINK 

wants  of  the  body  more  adequately  than  any  of  the 
artificial  drinks  that  are  now  used  and  advertised 
as  an  improvement  over  pure  water,  such  as  it 
comes  from  the  clouds  uncontaminated  with  any 
filthy  ingredients.  The  use  of  water  is  entirely  too 
restricted  in  the  present  day.  As  a  laxative  (acting 
on  the  bowels),  as  a  diuretic  (acting  on  the  kidneys), 
and  diaphoretic  (acting  on  the  skin),  it  is  a  great 
scavenger  of  the  body.  There  is  scarcely  any  ail- 
ment in  which  water  may  not  be  freely  used;  and 
in  cases  of  high  temperature  the  use  of  water  inter- 
nally, and  externally  by  bathing,  is  one  of  the  best 
agents  we  possess  for  the  reduction  of  temperature. 

Whenever  a  man  is  left  to  the  cravings  of  instinct,  ] 
unbiased  by  a  vicious  appetite,  he  resorts  to  water  / 
as  a  natural  means  to  quench  his  thirst,  cool  his  I 
system,  and  invigorate  his  strength.    It  is  the  only  j 
liquid  which  is  essential  to  the  formation,  develop- 
ment and  support  of  his  constitution.  v 

It  is  found  in  all  climates  and  inhabited  regions 
of  the  earth,  and  Providence  has  nowhere  offered 
a  fountain,  stream  or  well,  river  or  lake,  or  any 
liquid,  as  a  substitute  for  water.  It  is  very  neces- 
sary that  the  wa1>er  we  drink  be  as  pure  as  possible. 


DRINK  187 

How  little  attention  is  usually  paid  by  the  farmer 
or  villager  in  obtaining  water,  clear  of  subsoil  im- 
purities, which  are  a  prolific  source  of  typhoid-fever 
and  other  filth  diseases! 

The  inhabitants  of  large  cities  are  awakening  to 
the  beneficial  results  of  properly  filtered  water, 
which  will  undoubtedly  lessen  considerably  urban 
mortality.  The  City  of  Vienna  is  a  remarkable 
illustration,  which  shows  that  when  the  filthy  water 
of  the  Danube  was  used  for  drinking  purposes, 
typhoid-fever  made  fearful  ravages  among  the  peo- 
ple. But  since  1874  when  the  great  aqueduct 
which  brings  the  water  supply  for  the  city  from  a 
mountain  thirty  miles  distant  was  finished,  this  and 
other  filth  diseases  have  been  very  considerably 
abated. 

The  water  supply  of  cities  is  often  so  impure  that 
in  order  to  escape  the  danger  of  diseases,  it  is  better 
to  have  it  sterilized  by  boiling,  and  have  it  filtered 
through  a  sandy  or  porous  stone  such  as  we  find 
for  sale  in  the  stores.  The  dyspeptic  and  costive 
inhabitants  of  our  cities  particularly,  do  not  drink 
sufficient  water.  A  glass  of  warm  water  with  a 
small  quantity   of  table  salt  is  a  very  efficacious 


188  DRINK 

aperient,  and  is  preferable  to  many  of  the  nostrums 
that  are  in  genera!  use.  It  is  not  only  the  great 
cleanser  of  the  internal  organs,  but  also  removes 
the  products  of  waste  that  the  skin  throws  off  by 
its  thirty  miles  of  canal  sewerage. 

Pure  water  consists  of  two  parts  by  weight  of 
hydrogen  gas  and  sixteen  parts  of  oxygen;  though 
natural  water,  owing  to  its  impurities,  which  may 
be  suspended  or  dissolved  in  it,  is  never  thus  chemi- 
cally pure. 

We  obtain  water  from  rivers,  deep  or  shallow 
wells  and  collect  it  in  cisterns.  On  account  of  the 
softness  of  rainwater,  that  is,  its  freedom  from  salts, 
lime  and  magnesia,  etc.,  which  render  it  hard,  it 
is  useful  for  washing.  There  is  great  danger  in 
deep  well  water  from  its  being  polluted  with  animal 
excrementitious  matters,  and  the  germs  or  micro- 
organisms of  disease,  which  owing  to  the  absence 
of  sunlight  and  fresh  air  in  such  places,  find  in  them 
a  fertile  field  for  development. 

A  bucket  of  muddy  water  can  be  rendered  fairly 
clear  with  a  little  alum  a«4  a  muslin  bag  placed 
in  it  for  two  or  three  minutes.  Thus  treated  let  it 
rest  in  a  cool  place  for  twenty-four  hours  and  it 


DRINK  189 

will  be  found  fairly  clear  and  pure.  Filtration  of 
water  on  a  large  scale  is  usually  done  through 
sand  and  gravel,  with  the  fine  sand  on  top.  Char- 
coal is  an  excellent  purifier  of  water,  but  unfortu- 
nately tends  to  the  production  of  micro-organisms 
that  cause  disease,  as  the  animal  matter  which  char- 
coal contains,  suppHes  those  germs  with  pabulum 
on  which  they  thrive. 

For  drinking  and  cooking  purposes,  water  may 
be  classified  as  follows: 

First,  the  water  of  rivers  and  running  streams 
when  filtered. 

Second,  springs  and  deep  wells  not  subject  to 
contamination  by  surface  drainage. 
Third,  cisterns. 

In  rendering  water  sparkling,  colorless,  palatable 
and  wholesome,  the  following  v^^ater-bearing  strata 
are  most  ef^ficient:   chalk  and  sand. 

The  diseases  that  are  attributed  to  impure  water 

are  enteric  or  typhoid  fever,  cholera,  yellow-fever, 

malarial  fever,  as  well  as  diarrhoea  and  dysentery. 

Lead  poisoning  occurs  often  from  drinking  water 

passing  through  leaden  pipes. 

Is  tobacco  injurious?  is  often  asked  and  the  an- 


190  DRINK 

swer  is  indefinite  as  it  depends  entirely  upon  the 
peculiarity  of  constitution  of  the  individual.  It 
must,  however,  be  conceded  that  as  a  rule  the  ac- 
tive principle  of  tobacco,  nicotine,  like  alcohol  and 
opium  when  used  in  excess  is  injurious  and  danger- 
ous, and  tends  to  the  production  of  diseases  of  the 
throat,  stomach,  eyes,  heart  and  nervous  system. 
To  those  who  have  habituated  themselves  to  smok- 
ing occasionally,  it  is  often  a  positive  enjoyment, 
and  does  no  harm,  but  to  the  very  young  it  is  as  a 
rule  poisonous. 

The  followinof  excerpt  taken  from  the  "Chicago 
Medical  Recorder"  is  worth  noting  here: 

"At  a  debate  on  smoking  among  the  members 
of  the  British  Association  for  the  Advancement  ol 
Science,  many  speakers  denounced,  while  others  ad- 
vocated the  practice.  Professor  Huxley  said:  'For 
forty  years  of  my  life  tobacco  has  been  a  deadly 
poison  to  me.  (Loud  cheers  from  the  antitobacon- 
ists).  In  my  youth  as  a  medical  student  I  tried  to 
smoke.  In  vain;  at  every  fresh  attempt  my  insidi- 
ous foe  stretched  me  prostrate  on  the  floor.  (Re- 
peated cheers.)  I  entered  the  navy;  again  I  tried 
to  smoke,  and  again  met  with  defeat.     I  hated  to- 


DRINK  191 

bacco.    I  could  almost  have  lent  my  support  to  any 
institution  that  had  for  its  object  the  putting  of 
tobacco  smokers  to  death.    (Vociferous  applause.) 
A  few  years  ago   I   was   in  Brittany  with   some 
friends.    We  went  to  an  inn,  my  friends  began  to 
smoke.     They  looked  very  happy,  outside  it  was 
very  wet  and  dismal,  I  thought  I  would  try  a  cigar. 
(Murmurs.)     I   did  so.     (Great  expectations.)     I 
smoked   that   cigar;   it   was   delicious.     (Groans.) 
From  that  moment  I  was  a  changed  man;  and  now 
I  feel  that  smoking  in  moderation  is  a  comfortable 
and  laudable  practice  and  is  productive  of  good. 
(Dismay   and    confusion    of   the    antitobacconists. 
Roars  of  laughter  from  the  smokers.)    There  is  no 
more  harm  in  a  pipe  than  there  is  in  a  cup  of  tea. 
You  may  poison  yourself  by  drinking  too  much 
green  tea,  and  kill  yourself  by  eating  too  many 
beefsteaks."    (Total  rout  of  the   antitobacconists, 
and  complete  triumph  of  the  smokers.)" 


CHAPTER  XI 

WORK  AND  WORRY 

The  day  (twenty-four  hours),  for  the  purpose  of 
good  health  and  longevity  should  be  divided  into 
eight  hours  for  work,eight  for  sleep, and  eight  hours 
for  meals,  proper  exercise  and  recreation.  Stagna- 
tion means  death.  Sloth  and  idleness,  as  well  as 
over-work,  must  result  in  weakness  of  mind  and 
body.  While  a  great  deal  of  stress  is  laid  on  the 
question  of  overwork,  we  hear  very  little  of  the  ill 
efifects  arising  from  underwork,  or  no  work. 
Whether  living  luxuriously,  surrounded  by  all  the 
comforts  that  wealth  can  bestow,  or  in  poverty, 
good  health  cannot  be  maintained  unless  proper 
exercise  of  the  brain  and  muscular  system  takes 
place.  "While  we  rest,  we  rust."  Unused  muscle 
wastes;  this  is  followed  or  associated  with  debility 
and  degeneration  in  various  parts.  Tliere  are  con- 
stantly waste  and  repair  going  on,  and  exercise  in 

(192) 


WORK  AND  WORRY  193 

the  open  air  is  one  of  the  principal  means  of  ridding 
us  of  the  effete  matter.  We  breathe  much  more 
rapidly  by  exercising  in  the  open  air,  get  rid  of 
more  carbonic  acid  gas,  and  take  in  more  oxygen. 
The  action  of  the  heart  is  increased  in  force  and 
frequency.  The  most  important  effect  is  on  the 
lungs.  Edward  Smith  found  that  if  the  quantity 
or  air  inspired  in  a  laying-down  position  be  taken 
as  100,  in  a  standing  position  it  is  133,  walking  one 
mile  an  hour  190,  and  walking  four  miles  an  hour 
500.  The  amount  of  oxygen  absorbed  and  of  car- 
bonic acid  gas  exhaled  is  increased.  It  is  impor- 
tant that  when  we  take  exercise  in  the  open  air  the 
action  of  the  lungs  should  be  perfectly  free.  Wo- 
man in  a  savage  state  breathes  like  a  man,  that  is, 
from  the  abdomen.  It  is  as  cruel  for  the  modern 
young  lady  to  prevent  the  expansion  of  the  lungs 
by  a  corset,  as  it  is  for  the  Chinese  to  deform  their 
feet  by  tight  shoes.  Many  a  tombstone  in  the 
cemetery  is  erected  on  account  of  tight-lacing. 

When  exercise  is  taken,  a  very  large  quantity 
of  pure  air  is  necessary.  Hence  it  is  best  taken  in 
the  open  air;  if  under  cover,  the  place  should  be 
very  well  ventilated.     Those   gymnastic   exercises 


194  WORK  AND  WORRY 

in  close,  ill-ventilated  rooms,  do  often  much  more 
harm  than  good.  There  is  unfortunately  a  growing 
tendency  at  present  to  adopt  artificial  modes  ac- 
cording to  a  certatin  routine^  in  large  ill-ventilated 
buildings,  that  is  not  near  so  useful  as  taking  exer- 
cise in  the  open  air,  such  as  walking,  digging,  hoe- 
ing, planting  or  plowing.  Outdoor  work  directed 
for  some  useful  purpose  with  some  special  object 
in  view,  besides  the  taking  of  exercise  in  itself,  is 
deserving  of  encouragement.  The  cyclist,  who 
spins  along  the  quiet  roads  may  not  enjoy  the 
pleasurable  motion  derived  from  such  exercise,  as 
one  does  who  Is  engaged  in  planting  or  hoeing  in 
a  garden  with  the  expectation  of  knowing,  when 
his  little  crops  ripen,  that  he  materially  assisted  by 
his  muscle  in  bringing  forth  that  result.  Much  has 
been  written  laudatory  of  the  wheel.  The  business 
man  or  clerk  whose  duties  confine  him  indoors  for 
hours  every  day,  will  find  much  benefit  from  the 
exhilarating  pastime  and  exercise  on  the  wheel. 
Yet  it  has  its  disadvantages,  as  excessive  and  rapid 
cycling  may  result  disastrously  by  the  production 
of  diseases  of  the  bladder  and  rectum.  It  may 
prove  also  injurious  to  the  heart. 


WORK  AND  WORRY  195 

f  No  exercise  can  take  the  place  of  walking  in  the 
V^  open  air,  free  and  untrammelled,  and  properly  clad.  ^ 
Systematic  physical  exercise  increases  the  chest 
girth  by  three  or  four  inches.  Excessive  exercise 
tires  the  heart  greatly,  leading  to  palpitation,  hy- 
pertrophy or  enlargement,  and  valvular  disease.  In 
sudden  exercise  the  heart  must  be  watched. 

Excessive  rapidity  of  the  heart's  action,  120  to 
140  per  minute,  with  inequality  and  irregularity, 
are  signs  of  danger;  and  more  gradual  exercise  is 
needed  to  accustom  the  heart  to  its  work.  The 
average  heart  of  the  present  age  of  indoor  work 
and  worry  has,  in  the  opinion  of  careful  examiners, 
undergone  degenerative  changes;  and  diseases  of 
that  organ,  as  well  as  its  weakening,  are  more  fre- 
quent than  formerly,  when  more  outdoor  em- 
ployments were  in  vogue.  The  irritable  heart,  the 
tobacco  heart,  the  feeble  heart,  is  much  in  evidence 
at  the  present  day. 

The  skin  during  exercise  becomes  red,  and  per- 
spiration is  much  increased.  There  is  little  danger 
of  chill  during  exertion;  but  after  it,  the  heat  of  the 
body  rapidly  declines  by  evaporation;  therefore  a 
chill  is  likely  to  occur  if  flannel  or  its  equivalent  be 


196  WORK  AND  WORRY 

not  worn.  It  is  not  the  amount  of  work  done  by  the 
average  man  that  gives  rise  to  such  bad  effects  on 
the  system,  as  the  fact  that  it  is  usually  of  a  charac- 
ter that  will  not  allow  sufficient  pure  air  or  light  to 
render  him  healthful.  The  insatiate,  covetous,  and 
money-grabbing  tendencies  of  the  age  affect  our 
civilization,  and  lead  to  the  production  of  a  condi- 
tion of  worry,  which  seems  to  be  inseparable  from 
work. 

Let  us  take  for  the  sake  of  illustration,  tv/o  in- 
dividuals as  representatives  of  two  classes  of  per- 
sons,who  are  as  dissimilar  in  social  standing  as  their 
hygienic  conditions  are  different.  The  first  individ- 
ual represents  the  wealthy  or  wealth-seeking,  usu- 
ally called  "upper  class,"  and  the  other  individual 
represents  the  ''lower"  or  laboring  class. 

The  business  man  engrossed  with  the  cares  of 
his  pursuit  sees  no  pleasure  in  the  exhilarating  air 
of  genial  sunshine.  The  theater  fails  to  disperse  the 
all-absorbing  cares  and  worry  of  money-making. 
The  drama  or  the  light  play,  full  of  fun  and  folly, 
excites  not  his  risibilities.  He  is  enchained  like  a 
slave  in  the  galley  to  the  all-absorbing  passion  of 
work  and  worry.  He  may  live  in  a  palatial  residence 
with  a  wife  and  children  who  scarcely  know  their 


The  selfish,  grumpy  dyspeptic. 


WORK  AND  WORRY  107 

father.  No  joyous,  playful,  childish  sounds  of  sweet 
music  to  the  fathergreet  him  as  he  enters  the  thresh- 
old of  his  home.  He  seeks  no  rest,  recreation  nor 
pleasure  in  the  bosom  of  his  family.  The  condition 
of  the  stock-market,  his  rivals  in  business,  his  fman- 
cial  speculations  have  changed  his  character  and 
made  it  so  cold  and  callous,  that  he  cannot  extri- 
cate himself  from  such  perversion  of  nature  as  to 
give  way,  even  for  a  short  time,  to  a  pleasurable 
feeling  of  affection  for  his  devoted  children.  Every- 
thing pertaining  to  himself  and  his  family  is  under 
strict  business  management.  While  his  days  are 
spent  working  hard,  and  worrying  harder,  in  the 
race  for  wealth  and  position,  his  nights  are  not 
spent  in  sleep,  but  in  "a.  continuance  of  enduring 
thought.'*  Nervous  prostration  and  sleeplessness 
are  the  result  of  his  artificial  mode  of  living,  of  his 
avarice  and  worry.  That  sound,  perfect  sleep  which 
the  farmer  by  his  outdoor  toil  obtains,  he  knows 
not.  His  sleep  is  not  of  that  character  so  charm- 
ingly portrayed  and  praised  by  Shakespeare  in 
Macbeth. 

'The  innocent  sleep — 
Sleep,  that  knits  up  the  ravel'd  sleave  of  care — 
The  death  of  each  day's  life,  sore  labor's  bath — 


198  WORK  AND  WORRY 

Balm  of  hurt  minds,  great  nature's  second  course, 
Chief  noiirisher  in  hfe's  feast." 

Such  condition  obtains  in  the  average  business 
man  who  hastens  to  become  rich.  No  doubt  there 
are  many  for  whom  the  picture  would  seem  to  be 
too  strongly  drawn;  yet  it  is  drawn  truthfully. 

Now  look  at  the  representative  of  the  laboring 
class.     The  plodding,  honest  laborer  goes  to  his 
work  resignedly,  perhaps  even  cheerfully,  for  the 
sake  of  the  wages  he  earns  truly  ''in  the  sweat  of 
sC    his  brow."    But  he  goes  home  to  give  and  receive 
comfort  and  pleasure.    He  cements  more  strongly, 
if  possible,  the  close  affection  and  warm-hearted- 
ness that  exist  between  himself  and  all  the  members 
of  his  family.     He  is  glad  to  get  home  and  enjoy 
the  laughter  and  joyous  play  of  his  children,  into 
which  he  enters  with  interest  and  satisfaction.     He 
needs  no  appetizer,  nervine  tonic,  nor  sleep-produc- 
ing draught.    He  is  healthy  and  strong,  and  if  not 
a  shining  ornament,  at  least  a  useful  member  of 
society.     If  perchance  the  hard  laboring  man  oc- 
casionally, or  even  at  stated  intervals,  indulge  in 
a  few  glasses  of  beer  or  drinks  of  whiskey  without 
detriment  to  his  health,  and  without  making  himself 


WORK  AND  WORRY  199 

disagreeable  to  his  friends  or  his  family,  why  should 
the  finger  of  scorn  be  pointed  at  him  because  he  is 
seen  or  known  to  do  so?  Why  should  the  public 
form  an  erroneous  opinion  of  his  kindness  of  heart 
and  affection,  toward  his  wife  and  family?  These 
are  quite  compatible  with  an  occasional  stim- 
ulant. Habit  and  excess,  however,  seriously  inter- 
fere with,  nay,  most  likely  will  soon  banish  peace 
and  happiness  from  the  home-circle.  A  sure  and 
swift  destroyer  of  the  family's  well-being  is  the 
drunkenness  of  either  parent.  All  excesses  of  what- 
ever kind  must  be  avoided  to  insure  health  and  the 
enjoyment  of  the  comforts  of  life  both  at  home  and 
abroad. 

The  successful  man  who  has  become  a  chronic 
dyspeptic  through  his  love  for  wealth  which  has 
rendered  him  incapable  of  appreciating  the  pleas- 
ures of  a  happy  home,  may  be  regarded  publicly 
with  high  respect.  He  may  be  a  strict  temperance 
man,  a  leader  in  church  circles,  but  his  children 
rather  fear  than  love  him.  His  acquisition  of 
wealth,  accumulated  through  business  ventures  and 
speculation  in  a  comparatively  short  space  of  time, 
has  made  him  an  egoist;  and  his  children  possessed 


aOO  WORK  AND  WORRY 

of  a  'deg-enerative  trait  and  coddled  in  the  lap  of 
luxury,  generally  fail  in  almost  every  position  in 
life  they  attempt  to  fill.  The  successful  business 
man,  who  now  belongs  to  that  class  known  as  the 
"best  people,"  is  regarded  as  a  good  man;  while 
the  plodding  laborer,  honest  and  industrious,  such 
as  we  have  described,  has  generally  speaking  no 
place  in  the  estimation  of  the  public  as  being  con- 
sidered a  good  man  in  the  same  sense.  He,  who 
has  made  himself  a  nervous  dyspeptic,  or  has  be- 
come debilitated  through  hard  work  and  lack  of 
proper  exercise,  in  order  to  acquire  sordid  gain, 
might  truthfully  be  considered  as  great  a  wrong- 
doer, physically,  as  the  individual  who  has  injured 
his  constitution  by  the  excessive  use  of  alcoholic 
beverages.  But,  one  is  considered  a  decent  man, 
and  the  other  a  vile  drunkard.  Such,  alas!  is  the 
injustice  of  public  opinion  in  regard  to  these  two 
classes  of  individuals. 

Work,  in  order  to  be  beneficial  to  health,  must 
alternate  with  proper  outdoor  exercise  and  recrea- 
tion. The  business  man  or  clerk  must  walk  more 
and  avoid  the  convenience  of  street  car  and  train, 
if  he  expects  to  reach  a  good  old  age.     Great  ad- 


WORK  AND  WORRY  201 

vantage  can  be  derived  by  those  who  have  not 
sufficient  time,  owing  to  the  severe  competition 
in  all  the  pursuits  of  life  that  now  exists,  by  exer- 
cise, such  as  swinging  tlie  arms,  expanding  the 
chest,  and  flagellating  the  body  with  a  coarse  towd 
for  ten  or  fifteen  minutes  on  rising  from  bed  and 
before  retiring  at  night.  A  short  walk  or  some 
other  muscular  exercise  in  the  open  air  should  be 
indulged  in  before  sitting  down  to  breakfast.  The 
cares  of  the  office  or  workshop  should  be  cast 
aside  while  at  home.  The  habit  of  v/orrying  gjows, 
leads  to  despondency,  sleeplessness,  and  nervous 
debility.  The  panacea  for  this  miserable  condition 
sonsists  in  a  complete  change  of  environment.  The 
society  of  those  that  enjoy  a  joke  or  a  laugh  should 
be  cultivated.  Tlie  narrator  of  pains  and  aches  and 
unpleasant  forebodings  should  be  avoided,  for  the 
mental  influence  in  these  cases  is  often  very  re- 
markable. Constipation,  which  is  a  frequent  con- 
dition existing  among  those  who  lead  a  sedentery 
life,  should  receive  proper  attention.  The  character 
of  exercise  that  we  have  before  alluded  to  in  con- 
junction with  the  kneading  and  rubbing  of  the  ab- 
domen will  generally  relieve  this  condition  without 


202  WORK  AND  WORRY 

any  medication.  The  proper  kind  of  rest  for  this 
class  of  people  should  consist  in  gentle  work  of  a 
character  opposite  to  that  in  which  they  have  been 
engaged,  to  break  the  chain  of  continued  monoto- 
nous nerve -tension. 

Plenty  of  baths,  with  a  vigorous  use  of  the  flesh 
brush,  are  indispensable  in  producing  activity  and 
invigoration  of  the  whole  system.     Continued  ner- 
vous strain  for  several  hours  will  in  the  course  of 
a  few  years  bring  about  debility  and  loss  of  muscu- 
lar power.    There  is  a  class  of  men,  if  our  informa- 
tion be  correct,  who  perform  duties  of  the  most 
exacting  character,  subjecting  them  to  long  periods 
of  labor  and  watchfulness,  and  yet  are  responsible 
for  the  safety  of  the  lives  of  the  public.     Reference 
is  made  to  railroad  engineers,  brakesmen,  switch- 
men, etc.     It  is  both  cruel  and  dangerous  to  the 
safety  of  public  travel  to  allow  the  railway  engineer 
to  work  for  twelve  or  fifteen  hours  without  rest. 
Is  it  any  wonder  that  accidents  occur  when  those 
men  are  subjected  to  such  severe  and  long  con- 
tinued strain  of  the  nervous  system,  which  a  sharp 
lookout  requires?     In  addition  to  this,  only  five 
or  ten  minutes  are  allowed  to  eat  a  meal,  which  is 


Sixteen  hours  at  the  throttle. 


WORK  AND  WORRY  203 

done  usually  while  the  train  is  in  motion,  and  is 
gulped  down  as  rapidly  as  possible,  for  the  pur- 
pose of  saving  time.  This  is  certainly  a  question  of 
great  importance  to  the  traveling  public,  and  de- 
mands remedial  legislation.  More  time  for  eating 
should  be  allowed.  It  seems  that  more  advantage 
is  taken  of  the  intelligence,  mechanical  skill  and 
time  of  railway  employees  than  of  any  other,  in 
order  that  the  wishes  of  employing  trusts  and  specu- 
lators may  be  realized.  This  is  contrary  to  the  laws 
of  humanity  as  well  as  to  those  of  physiolog}\ 

A  special  word  about  worry  seems  necessary,  be- 
cause it  works  great  detriment  to  the  human  sys- 
tem. When  life's  work  has  begun  in  earnest,  why 
is  the  face  lit  so  seldom  by  a  bright  smile?  Why 
is  the  merry  laugh  gone?  Ah,  worry  has  chased 
both  away.  At  night,  instead  of  sleeping,  the  head 
is  tossed  from  side  to  side  upon  the  pillow.  The 
entanglements  and  disappointments  of  business,  the 
adverse  or  unfriendly  relations  with  others,  seem 
to  take  almost  living  shapes,  and  torment  the  minds, 
and  rack  the  frames  of  many  a  one.  All  find  worry 
at  night  worse  than  worry  during  the  day. 

The  remedy  lies  in  the  strengthening  of  the  ner- 


204  WORK  AND  WORRY 

vous  system  and  in  the  resignation,  which  common 
sense  demands.  A  nervous  person  will  easily  be- 
come worried,  and  worried  over  trivial  matters  and, 
perhaps,  for  only  imaginary  contingencies.  Surely 
everybody  knows  that  mistakes  will  happen,  losses 
will  come,  and  plans  be  thwarted,  as  long  as  the 
human  race  exists.  Causes  for  worry  are  unavoid- 
able, but  undue  worry  can  and  should  be  avoided. 
Why  should  an  unkind  word  or  act  of  another,  an 
unlooked-for  loss,  or  an  undesired  turn  of  affairs 
be  allowed  to  rob  us  of  our  cheerfulness,  of  our 
energy,  or  plunge  us  into  despondency  or  even  into 
melancholy?  If  a  rent  has  taken  place,  mending 
is  the  best.  Tears  do  not  avail.  One  immerged 
in  worry  should  seek  one  who  is  free  from  it. 
Friendly  conversation,  judicious  advice,  and  reason- 
ing with  the  worried  upon  the  unreasonableness  of 
worry,  its  bad  effects  upon  health,  prospects,  etc., 
will  go  far  to  break  the  dull  and  heavy  spell.  But 
the  main  concern  is  to  strengthen  the  nervous  sys- 
tem by  all  means  possible.  Narcotics  and  stimu- 
lants should  be  carefully  avoided  and  a  more  ra- 
tional mode  of  living  should  be  adopted.  Modera- 
tion in  all  things  is  highly  commendable.    All  over- 


WORK  AND  WORRY 


205 


work,  undue  haste  in  business  occupation,  unwar- 
ranted expectations  of  success,  or  perhaps,  jealousy 
of  another's  advantages,  invite  worry.  Far  better 
to  bury  worry,  than  let  worry  bury  you. 

Real  downright  worry  can  have  less  reasons  than 
business  troubles.     It  may  therefore  be  excusable 
to  refer  to  a  state  of  mind,  harassed  by  what  is  gen- 
erally and  aptly  called  -the  Blues."    Tlie  following 
lines  penned  by  a  friend  describe  one  in  such  a 
frame  of  mind  which  is  scarcely  anything  else  than 
ill-humor.    Like  the  imaginary  sick,  they  are  those 
whose  troubles  are  conjured  up  by  themselves;  they 
scarcely  know  why  they  fret  and  worry,  yet  if  con- 
tinued for  any  length  of  time  or  of  frequent  occur- 
rence it  will  disastrously  prey  upon  the  mind. 

He  Has  the  Blues 

My  friend,  what  can  the  matter  be? 
You're  sad  to-day  I  plainly  see; 
Has  anyone  ill-treated  you, 
Or  made  you  things  unpleasant  do? 

Oh  no,  I  say,'  oh  no, 

It's  something  else,  I  know; 

No  word,  no  deed  of  anyone, 

Has  made  me  sad,  nor  what  I've  done. 


206  WORK  AND  WORRY 

Perhaps  it's  pain  that  makes  you  sad, 
A  headache,  toothache?    Oh  that's  bad! 
It's  hard  indeed  to  suffer  pain. 
But  what  by  sadness  do  you  gain? 

Oh  no,  I  sa}^  oh  no. 

It's  something  else,  I  know; 

To  suffer  is  the  lot  of  all. 

So  this  the  cause  I  cannot  call. 

Then  sadness  fell  on  you  because 
You  looked  for  some  well  earned  applause. 
Which  people  would  not  give;  or  came 
Depression  from  the  sting  of  blame? 

Oh  no,  I  say,  oh  no. 

It's  something  else,  I  know; 

Not  praise,  nor  blame  the  source  can  be 

Of  all  the  grief  that  crushes  me. 

Are  3^ou  not  sad  on  this  account 
That  you  your  name  cannot  recount 
Amongst  the  wealthy  or  the  great; 
Why  grudge  about  a  lowly  state? 

Oh  no,  I  say,  oh  no. 

It's  something  else,  I  know; 

From  pride  and  riches  or  of  fame 

I  have  preserved  my  humble  name. 


WORK  AND  WORRY  207 

Forsooth,  you  think  you've  grown  so  high, 
Your  head  has  reached  the  stormy  sky; 
And  ev'ry  heavy,  dismal  cloud, 
Y^our  shoulders  carry— Oh  how  proud! 
Oh  no,  I  say,  oh  no, 
It's  something  else,  I  know; 
Though  in  my  heart  it  seems  so  dark, 
My  trouble  thus  you  do  not  mark. 
If  nothing  great  did  you  befall 
Well  then,  it  must  be  something  small; 
Be  frank  and  say,  is  this  not  true: 
Perhaps  some  idiot  laughed  at  you; 
Oh  no,  I  say,  oh  no. 
It's  something  else,  I  know; 
I  could  not  call  it  great  or  small 
That  made  me  into  sadness  fall. 
And  can't  I  now  your  trouble  guess, 
If  you  will  only  it  confess; 
You  think  all  things  are  gone  ajar 
Because  the  cooks  forgetful  are. 
Oh  no,  I  say,  oh  no, 
It's  something  else,  I  know; 
Not  cook,  not  pepper,  nor  the  salt 
Explains  my  grief,  or  is  at  fault. 


208  WORK  AND  WORRY 

What  surely  then  your  grief  has  brought 
Must  be  the  melancholy  thought: 
Deserted,  friendless,  you  suppose 
Yourself,  and  things  like  that,  who  knows? 
Oh  no,  I  say,  oh  no. 
It's  something  else,  I  know; 
I'm  not  alone  I  plainly  see 
Nor  have  my  friends  deserted  me. 
I  will  not  stop  until  I  find 
The  source  of  your  chagrin  unkind; 
You  built  some  castles  in  the  air, 
Which  crumbled,  and  have  brought  despair. 
Oh  no,  I  say,  oh  no. 
It's  something  else,  I  know; 
Despair,  nor  castles  in  the  air 
Of  sadness  brought  this  heavy  share. 
The  last  resort,  I  do  believe. 
To  find  the  cause  of  your  strange  grief, 
Is  this:    The  blues,  the  blues,  the  blues? 
Why  laugh,  and  then  you'll  quickly  lose. 
Oh  yes,  I  must  confess, 
How  foolish  my  distress, 
Imagination — devil's  blue — 
Are  all  the  cause  of  grief  I  knew. 


CHAPTER  XII 

BATHING. THE    SICK-ROOM 

The  Egyptians,  from  whom  we  have  derived  so 
much  of  the  knowledg-e  of  mathematics  and  other 
sciences,  strange  to  say,  considered  it  dangerous  to 
give  a  child  a  bath  before  it  was  a  year  old.  For 
several  centuries  the  use  of  the  bath  was  very  much 
restricted,  and  even  at  the  present  day  the  horror 
of  bathing,  like  that  of  '^catching  cold"  by  the  in- 
halation of  fresh  air,  is  looked  upon  even  by  people 
who  are  considered  intelligently  educated,  as  dan- 
gerous to  life.  As  we  breathe  through  the  skin  as 
well  as  through  the  lungs,  the  use  of  the  bath  in 
removing  efifete  material  should  be  frequently  re- 
sorted to. 

There  are  several  kinds  of  bath:  The  cold  bath, 
the  warm  bath,  the  shower  bath,  the  hot  bath, 
the  Turkish  bath,  the  Russian  bath,  the  plun.sfe 
bath,    etc.      The    cold    bath    for  the    young    and 

(209) 


210  BATHING 

healthy  is  invigorating  and  results  in  tonicity  to  the 
whole  system.     Plenty  of  soap  and  water,  with  or 
without  a  little  ammonia  or  soda,and  the  flesh  brush 
freely  used,  will  be    sufficient    to    remove    all    the 
morbid  material  and  cleanse  thoroughly  the  skin. 
The  warm  bath,  while  more  agreeable,  is  not  pos- 
sessed of  the  tonic  property  of  the  cold  bath.     But 
in  persons  whose  constitutions  are  below  par  and 
not  vigorous,  it  is  better  to  use  it  than  the  former. 
The  hot  bath  is  depressing,  and  a  relaxant  to  the 
system,  inducing  a  sense  of  fatigue  and  sleep.    The 
Russian  and  Turkish  baths,  which  subject  the  in- 
dividual to  sensations  of  freezing  and  boiling  or 
baking  alternately,  while  undoubtedly  very  cleans- 
ing,  are   fraught  Vv'ith   great   danger  to   the   very 
young,  very  old,  or  persons  suffering  with  any  affec- 
tion of  the  heart.     While  a  vigorous  adult  may 
enjoy  this,  and  suffer  no  inconvenience  from  those 
sudden  changes  of  temperature  to  wdiich  he  is  sub- 
jected by  the  processes  of  cold  and  heat  by  taking 
one  of  those  baths,  yet  extremes  in  temperature, 
like  extremes  of  climate,  will  often  be  injurious. 
The  delicate,  pale  and  anemic,  if  the  danger  from 
shock  bv  the  too  sudden  action  of  cold  is  removed, 


BATHING  211 

will  find  in  a  cold  bath  an  excellent  means  of  rc- 
invigorating  and  strengthening  the  system.  The 
Greeks  and  Romans  depended  more  on  the  use  of 
the  baths  than  possibly  anything  else,  to  give  them 
the  splendid  physique  and  beautiful  forms  which 
they  possessed.  The  mineral  baths,  such  as  sul- 
phur, magnesia,  etc.,  that  we  often  notice  adver- 
tised, possess  really  no  advantage  over  the  domestic 
bath.  The  use  of  the  bath  has  taken  strides  with 
the  advance  of  civilization,  as  cleanliness  tends  more 
than  any  other  factor,  to  the  prevention  of  disease 
and  death.  This  cleanliness  does  not  consist  in  the 
vagaries  and  unproven  dictates  of  certain  antiseptic 
agents,  but  in  the  free  and  plentiful  use  of  natural 
water,  rendered  sufficiently  alkaline  by  good  soap. 
A  little  common  salt  in  the  water  acts  as  a  tonic 
to  the  skin.  For  rheumatic  affections,  if  no  heart 
complication  exist,  the  use  of  the  hot  bath  is  bene- 
ficial. The  v/ork  of  the  lungs  and  kidneys  is  less- 
ened by  bathing,  and  skin  affections,  often  very 
intractable  to  treatment,  are  prevented.  The  warm 
bath  can  be  used  in  every  disease  unless  the  heart 
is  very  weak.  In  pneumonia,  scarlet  fever,  small- 
pox and  typhoid  fever,  the  warm  bath  or  sponging 


212  THE   SICK-ROOM 

with  lukewarm  water  is  advantageous  and  often 
indispensable.  How  long  to  remain  in  a  bath,  hot 
or  cold,  depends  entirely  upon  the  physical  condi- 
tion of  the  bather.  The  hot  bath  or  Russian  bath 
should  never  be  indulged  while  the  individual  has 
any  disease  of  the  heart,  which,  however,  can  only 
be  detected  by  a  physician.  Repose  and  rest  for  a 
short  time  afterwards  are  necessary  to  safety. 

The  Sick  Room 

The  sick-room  should  be  well  ventilated  at  all 
times,  summer  or  winter,  more  or  less,  according 
to  the  weather.  Cleanliness  in  the  sick-room  is 
important  for  recovery.  Everything  about  the  bed 
of  the  sick  and  about  the  room  should  be  scrupu- 
lously clean,  especially  whatever  is  served  to  the 
sick,  be  it  medicine  or  be  it  food.  This  latter 
should  always  be  of  a  plain,  simple  kind  that  can  be 
easily  digested,  and  suitable  to  the  taste  of  the  sick 
person.  Little  at  a  time  and  often,  is  the  best  rule 
for  feeding  the  sick.  Food  should  not  be  forced 
on  the  sick  from  the  erroneous  idea  that  it  will 
strengthen,  when  there  is  no  appetite  nor  power 
of  digestion.  The  vials  and  medicines  for  the  sick 
as  well  as  the  spoons,  etc.,  should  always  be  kept 


THE   SICK-ROOM  213 

in  a  cool  place,  not  placed,  as  is  often  the  case,  on 
the  mantel  over  a  warm  fire. 

The  sick  need  much  attention,  and  the  milk  of 
kindness  should  never  give  out,  though  the  sickness 
prove  lingering  for  weeks  and  months.    Some  over- 
whelm the  sick  in  the  beginning  with  attentions  that 
soon  grow  slack;    these  do  even  cease  altogether, 
and,  not  seldom,  positive  neglect  takes  their  place. 
This  undoubtedly  has  a  depressing  influence  upon 
the  sick,  who  appreciate  all  kindness  and  keenly  feel 
its  absence.    Many  persons  should  never  be  at  one 
time  in  the  sick-room.     A  few  kind  and  cheering 
words,  and  the  visit  should  end.    Whispering  near 
the  sick  should  not  occur  though  the  patient  may 
seem  to  be  asleep;  he  will  think  that  the  language 
used  concerns  himself  and  the  gravity  of  his  sick- 
ness.     Neither  should  the  sick  be  made  to  talk 
much,  unless  he  be  inclined  to  do  so  himself.     It 
requires   more   effort   for  the   sick  to   speak  than 
healthy  persons  are  aware  of.    But  surely  it  belongs 
to  the  very  essence  of  kindness  to  administer  to 
the  sick  the  medicines  as  prescribed  by  the  attend- 
ing physician,  and  to  carry  out  all  his  injunctions. 
All  noise  and  disturbance  should  be  prevented  as 
far  as  possible  within  the  hearing  of  the  sick,  who 


214  THE   SICK-ROOM 

are  often  very  vigilant.  The  condition  and  the 
temperament  of  the  patient  must  decide,  in  the 
opinion  of  the  physician,  whether  visits  can  be  safely 
made.  But  above  all,  ''weary  nature's  calm- 
restorer,  balmy  sleep" — should  never  be  inter- 
rupted. 

When  sickness  points  clearly  to  a  fatal  ter- 
mination should  the  sick  be  informed  of  it?  In 
most  cases,  if  not  in  all  cases,  yes;  because  this  need 
not  aggravate  the  illness,  and  will  be  a  positive  ser- 
vice in  warning  the  sick  to  speak  his  last  words  to 
his  dear  ones;  perhaps  to  induce  him  to  make  his 
last  will,  if  this  has  not  been  attended  to  before,  and 
what  is  most  important,  the  patient  will  feel  urged 
to  use  his  last  moments  in  preparing  to  meet  his 
Maker. 


CHAPTER  XIII 

ACCIDENTS    AND    EMERGENCIES 

A  fainting  person  should  be  placed  in  such 
a  position  as  to  procure  a  draught  of  fresh  air,  and 
tight  clothing  should  be  loosened.  Water  should 
be  dashed  in  the  face,  and  if  the  person  is  pale  or 
livid,  a  stimulant  such  as  whiskey  or  brandy,  or 
a  half  teaspoonful  of  the  aromatic  spirits  of  ammo- 
nia in  a  half  tumblerful  of  water,  should  be  admin- 
istered. 

There  are  several  modes  of  treating  the  apparent- 
ly drowned.  The  following  may  be  adopted.  Re- 
move the  person  from  the  water  as  rapidly  and 
gently  as  possible,  the  face  turned  downwards  for 
a  moment,  and  remove  from  the  mouth  and  nose 
all  mud,  etc.,  by  hand,  or  cloth,  and  let  out  water. 
Pull  the  tongue  forwards  out  of  the  mouth,  and 
keep  it  out  by  a  piece  of  string  or  elastic  band 
passed  around,  and  under  the  jaw.     The  patient 


(215) 


216         ACCIDENTS     AND     EMERGENCIES 

should  obtain  plenty  of  fresh  air  and  persons  should 
not  be  permitted  to  crowd  around  and  obstruct  it. 
Tight  clothing  should  be  loosened.  The  patient 
should  be  turned  upon  the  side,  and  ammonia 
(spirits  of  hartshorn)  should  be  placed  near  his  nos- 
trils, and  cold  water  daslied  in  his  face;  then  stand 
by  his  head,  seize  the  elbows  and  draw  the  arms 
above  the  head.  This  will  pull  open  the  chest,  and 
draw  in  the  air  by  producing  a  vacuum — that  is, 
for  inspiration.  Next,  expiration  (breathing  out) 
is  to  be  imitated  by  pressing  down  the  patient's 
elbows  firmly  against  his  ribs;  this  helps  to  force 
the  air  out  of  the  chest.  This  artificial  respiration 
may  have  to  be  continued  for  an  hour  or  more 
before  natural  breathing  is  re-established.  It 
should  be  carried  out  regularly,  not  in  fits  and 
starts;  and  it  is  well  to  remember  that  natural  in- 
spiration (breathing)  occurs  about  eighteen  times 
per  minute.  When  the  arms  are  over  the  head, 
count  1,  2,  then  bring  the  arms  down  smartly  to 
the  patient's  side,  pressing  them  firmly  against  the 
chest;  again  allowing  an  interval  by  counting  1,2, 
slowly;  and  repeat  the  first  movement.    There  are 


ACCIDENTS    AND     EMERGENCIES        217 

many  other  methods  of  resuscitating  the  apparently 
drowned. 

The  method  of  exciting  breathing,  or  pulling  out 
the  tongue  is  commended  very  highly.  The  mouth 
being  cleared,  the  tongue  is  seized  and  pulled  for- 
ward and  held  for  a  second  in  that  position,  when 
it  is  again  allowed  to  slip  back  into  the  mouth. 
Whatever  method  is  used,  the  arms  and  legs  should 
be  rubbed  by  two  or  three  assistants  from  below 
upwards,  so  as  to  assist  in  relieving  the  obstructed 
circulation.  Hot  water  bottles,  or  rubber  bags, 
should  be  applied  to  his  feet  and  under  his  arm- 
pits, and  warm  dry  clothing  be  procured  as  soon 
as  possible,  and  the  patient  put  to  bed,  and  some 
hot  coffee,  or  a  little  brandy  or  whiskey,  should  be 
given. 

In  the  case  of  colic  or  abdominal  pains  due  to 
over-eating,  or  not  digesting  properly  what  has 
been  eaten,  the  unloading  the  stomach  by  means  of 
mustard  and  warm  water  (a  teaspoonful  to  a  glass), 
will  give  relief.  Cloths  wrung  out  of  hot  water,  a 
flaxseed  or  mustard  poultice  over  the  abdomen  may 
also  be  useful. 

A  fish  bone  lodged  in  the  throat,  if  not  removed 


218        ACCIDENTS    AND     EMERGENCIES 

in  attempts  at  coughing,  may  be  softened  by  the 
administration  of  ten  or  twenty  drops  of  vinegar 
every  fifteen  or  twenty  minutes;  it  will  then  more 
easily  be  vomited  or  swallowed. 

If  a  foreign  body,  such  as  a  bead  or  any  small 
substance,  or  any  insect  should  get  lodged  in  the 
ear,  instead  of  attempting  to  remove  it  by  a  hair 
pin,  or  scoop  it  out,  the  physician  should  at  once 
be  consulted. 

For  tht  sting  of  a  bee,  or  a  wasp,  or  any  other 
venomous  insect,  a  little  water  of  ammonia  applied 
to  it  will  usually  relieve  the  pain. 

If  the  eyes  should  become  irritated  by  lime  or 
dust,  a  drop  of  sweetoil  or  castor  oil  under  the  lid 
will  relieve  the  irritation,  and  prevent  the  surface 
of  the  eyeball  from  becoming  inflamed  until  a 
physician  can  be  seen. 

In  case  any  poison  has  been  swallowed,  the  first 
thing  to  do  is  to  empty  the  stomach  of  its  contents 
as  quickly  as  possible.  This  should  be  done  by  the 
use  of  mustard  water  (a  teaspoonful  of  mustard  to 
a  tumblerful  of  water,  to  be  followed  by  copious 
draughts  of  warm  water.  Salt  and  water,  or  alum 
water,  (a  teaspoonful  of  alum  to  a  tumblerful  of 


ACCIDENTS    AND     EMERGENCIES        210 

water)  may  also  be  used.     The  physician  should 
in  all  cases  be  sent  for.     It  should  be  remembered 
that  if  poisoned  by  opium,  (which  includes  mor- 
phia, paregoric  and  laudanum),  the    safety    of   the 
patient     often    depends    upon     the    administration 
of  a  prompt  emetic.     Ten  grains   of  sulphate   of 
copper,  or  thirty  grains  of  sulphate  of  Zinc,  dis- 
solved in  a  glass  of  water,  are  m.ore  efficacious  in 
relieving   the    stomiach    of   its    contents    than    the 
mustard,  saU  or  alum.    Thirty  grains  of  ipecac  also 
produce  vomiting.    After  the  stomach  is  thorough- 
ly emptied,  in  case  an  irritant  poison  such  as  arsenic 
or  strychnine  has  been  swallowed,  milk  may    be 
freely  given. 

When  bitten  by  a  dog,  the  wound  should  be  well 
washed  in  whiskey,  turpentine,  or  strong  carbolic 
acid,  and  if  it  is  known  that  the  dog  has  been  mad, 
it  may  be  necessary  to  cauterize  the  wound  with  a 
hot  iron.  A  foolish  notion  extensively  prevails  in 
the  minds  of  people,  that  if  a  person  is  bitten  by 
a  dog,  if  the  animal  is  not  killed,  even  if  not  mad, 
the  person  will  develop  hydrophobia.  This  is  en- 
tirely false. 

In   case  of  fits,  falling  sickness,  (epilepsy),  the 


220        ACCIDENTS    AND     EMERGENCIES 

patient  should  be  placed  in  such  a  position  as  to 
prevent  him  from  hurting  himself.  A  bit  of  wood 
or  a  cork  between  the  teeth  during  the  convulsions 
may  prevent  him  from  biting  his  tongue;  clothing 
around  his  neck  should  be  loosened. 

In  case  of  burns,  it  is  very  important  not  to 
break  any  of  the  blisters,  if  possible,  and  the  cloth- 
ing should  be  removed  as  carefully  as  possible, 
soaking  it  in  oil,  which  will  assist  in  preventing 
the  breaking  of  the  blisters.  The  important  point 
in  the  treatment  ot  a  burn  is  to  exclude  the  air  by 
dusting  it  with  flour,  and  covering  it  with. cloths 
dipped  in  sweet  oil  or  castor  oil.  Carron  oil,  which 
is  made  by  mixing  equal  parts  of  linseed  oil  and 
lime-water,  forms  an  excellent  and  soothing  appli- 
cation to  a  burn.  In  all  cases  of  shock,  fainting  or 
weak  heart,  the  patient  should  lie  dovv^n,  and  whis- 
key or  brandy  be  administered.  In  case  the  cloth- 
ing catches  on  fire  the  quickest  and  safest  mode,  es- 
pecially when  no  one  is  near,  is  to  roll  upon 
the  floor  to  extinguish  the  flames  without  injury 
to  the  face.    In  no  case  should  one  run  out  of  doors. 


CHAPTER  XIV 

HEMORRHAGE    (bLEEDING) 

Bleeding  may  occur  in  either  of  three  ways:  in  a 
small,  steady,  red  oozing,  or  in  a  red  stream  without 
intermission;  it  is  then  called  capillary  bleeding, 
that  is,  the  blood  comes  from  a  terminal  or  small 
vessel.  If  it  should  come  in  jerks  or  spurts  and 
its  color  be  bright  and  red,  then  it  is  arterial;  but 
if  it  comes  in  a  steady  dark  colored  flow,  then  it 
is  from  the  veins,  and  is  called  venous  bleeding. 
In  capillary  bleeding,  pressure  on  the  part  with 
absorbent  cotton  or  clean  linen  will  usually  succeed, 
if  not,  cold  water  may  be  tried,  or  a  little  common 
salt  and  cold  water,  or  a  little  powdered  alum  may 
be  dusted  on  the  seat  of  bleeding.  If  spouting  of 
blood  take  place  from  the  leg,  the  patient  should  lie 
down  with  the  thigh  elevated,  and  the  leg  forcibly 
bent  on  the  thigh.  If  it  should  come  from  the  arm, 
the  hand  should  be  placed  over  the  head,  or  the 

(221) 


222  HEMORRHAGE 

patient  should  He  on  the  floor  or  ground,  and  the 
hand  rest  on  a  table  above  him^  until  medical  assist- 
ance arrives.  If  there  is  not  much  blood,  a  com- 
press or  pad  may  be  all  that  is  necessary  to  stop 
it;  but  if  a  large  artery  is  severed,  a  stone  or  com- 
press should  be  used,  or  a  handkerchief  may  be 
tied  above  the  wound,  as  the  blood  is  coursing  from 
the  heart.  A  bandage  may  be  tightly  applied  and 
pressure  obtained  by  placing  a  stick  in  its  fold  and 
twisting  it,  and  this  pressure  should  be  kept  up 
until  the  physician  arrives.  If  there  is  arterial 
bleeding,  or  red  blood  spurting  from  the  palm  of 
the  hand,  put  a  pad  in  the  palm  and  bandage  the 
fingers  tightty  over  it.  If  it  should  come  from  the 
sole  of  the  foot,  it  can  be  stopped  by  placing  a  pad 
behind  the  inner  ankles  and  bandages  around  the 
joint  tightly. 

In  case  there  is  vomiting  or  spitting  of  blood,  ice 
crushed  or  cracked  should  be  given  and  a  physician 
summoned  at  once.  No  stimulant  should  be  given, 
nor  should  anything  be  done  to  excite  the  patient. 
Bleeding  from  the  nose  is  sometimes  very  trouble- 
some. The  patient  should  sit  upright  in  a  chair 
and  ice  applied  to  the  bridge  of  the  nose,  and  the 


HEMORRHAGE  223 

nape  of  the  neck.  A  plug  of  absorbent  cotton  and 
some  crushed  ice  may  be  pushed  into  the  nostril. 
If  this  does  not  succeed  in  arresting  the  hem- 
orrhage, if  tincture  of  iron  is  at  hand,  a  few  drops 
(ten  to  twenty)  in  a  teaspoonful  of  water  with  some 
absorbent  cotton  dipped  in  it  and  applied  as  a  plug 
in  the  nostrils  will  generally  relieve  the  hemorrhage. 


CHAPTER  XV. 

SLEEP 

"Sleep,  thou  repose  of  all  things;  sleep,  thou 
gentlest  of  the  deities,  thou  peace  of  the  mind  from 
which  care  flies,  who  dost  soothe  the  hearts  of  men 
wearied  with  the  toils  of  the  day,  and  refittest  them 
for  labor."     (Ovid.) 

Sleep,  may  be  defined  as  a  natural,  necessary 
and  highly  beneficial  suspension  of  the  voluntary 
exercise  of  the  powers  of  the  mind,  during  which, 
however,  the  organic  functions  of  the  body  do  not 
cease  but  are  carried  on  less  rapidly. 

It  is  natural,  because  nature  demands  it  of  every- 
one. It  is  necessary,  because  without  sleep  for  con- 
secutive days  the  constitution  is  so  much  afTfected 
as  to  induce  marked  prostration  and  injury  of  the 
nervous  system.  No  one  has  ever  been  known  to 
live  without  sleep.  It  has  been  said  by  a  great 
philosopher:  'Take  from  man  sleep  and  hope,  and 
he  will  be  the  most  wretched  being  on  earth." 

(224) 


SLEEP  825 

That  sleep  is  highly  beneficial  and  most  welcome 
will  not  be  denied.  Sleep  may  be  termed  a  suspen- 
sion of  consciousness  for  sheer  inability  to  define 
or  describe  what  sleep  is  in  itself  or  in  its  physio- 
logical bearings.  Suspension  of  consciousness  is 
rather  the  effect  of  sleep  than  its  explanation. 

Sleep  is  a  state  of  physiological  rest,  or  repose. 
What  changes  take  place  in  the  brain  or  blood  ves- 
sels we  know  not.  The  infliction  of  a  blow  on 
the  head,  or  an  attack  of,  apoplexy  or  a  "dead 
drunk"  induces  a  determination  of  blood  to  the 
brain,  and  may  produce  heaviness  or  stupor  which 
simulates,  but  is  not  sleep.  On  the  other  hand 
in  conditions  of  fainting  or  loss  of  blood  from  any 
cause  in  which  the  blood  supply  of  the  brain  is 
diminished,  there  may  be  yawning  and  sleepiness, 
but  such  is  different  from  natural  sleep. 

Nutrition  and  waste,  wear  and  repair  of  the  sys- 
tem require  food,  drink,  air,  light;  and  sleep  is  as 
necessary  to  life  as  any  of  those  indispensable 
agents.  The  tired  body  must  have  repose  and  rest, 
while  the  vital  functions  are  recuperating,  and  rein- 
vigorated  by  an  additional  supply  of  force  in  order 


226  SLEEP 

that  they  continue  their  functions.  Nerve  cells  be- 
come exhausted;  an  impression  is  made  on  the  ner- 
vous system,  the  supply  of  blood  is  diminished  by 
nerves  that  regulate  the  size  of  the  blood  vessels; 
the  blood  supply  to  the  brain  is  lessened  and  is 
diverted  to  other  portions  of  the  body.  The  heart 
gets  rest  by  beating  less  frequently,  and  the  acts  of 
breathing  are  diminished  during  sleep.  The  brain 
and  the  whole  body  obtain  rest  but  their  functions 
are  not  entirely  arrested,  though  nutrition  continues. 
Sleep  is  that  of  which  many  years  ago  Young,  in 
his  "Night  Thoughts,"  sang  if  not  very  sweetly  at 
least  very  pathetically,  because  he  enjoyed  so  pre- 
cious little  of  it  himself,  and  therefore  he  opened 
his  ode  upon  sleep  with  these  telling  words: 

"Tired  Nature's  sweet  restorer 

Balmy  sleep,  of  thee  I  sing." 
No  one  can  lose  sleep  with  impunity.  Its  loss 
means  a  heavy  draft  upon  both  the  capital  and 
interest  of  our  bodily  resources.  Loss  of  sleep  is 
sure  to  result  in  loss  of  strength.  A  severe  method 
of  torture  still  in  vogue  in  the  East  is  to  goad  the 
criminal  in  order  to  prevent  him  from  going  to 
sleep;  and  after  a  few  days  he  begs  to  be  killed  or 


SLEEP  227 

hanged  rather  than  to  be  kept  awake  any  longer. 
The  great  importance  of  sleep  must  be  recognized 
when  we  consider  the  fact  that  one-third  of  our 
term  of  existence  is  passed  in  sleep,  and  that  its 
complete  loss  (including  dozing,  nodding,  etc.,)  for 
two  or  three  weeks  will  generally  terminate  in  fatal 
exhaustion. 

There  seem  to  be  almost  as  many  kinds  of  sleep 
as  there  are  sleepers.  We  may,  however,  treat  of 
sleep  as  the  natural,  the  excessive,  the  defective, 
and  the  induced,  which  might  be  called  the  artificial 
sleep.  The  natural  sleep  is  the  best,  and  nature 
craves  it  strongly  about  every  sixteen  hours.  In 
the  economy  of  our  existence  this  natural  sleep 
holds  rank  with  air,  food,  drink  and  exercise.  If 
those  latter  are  taken  in  proper  proportions,  sleep 
will  assert  its  rights  in  due  tim.e.  Nature,  too,  if 
left  alone  will  apportion  the  length  of  time  for  sleep 
(generally  eight  hours  out  of  twenty-four),  in  adult 
life.  Fortunate,  indeed,  are  those  whose  sleep  is  not 
interrupted  or  cut  short;  sleep  that  is  induced  by 
instinct  acting  in  response  to  the  sense  of  healthy 
fatigue,  or  in  obedience  to  the  impulse  of  good 
habit.     The  full  benefit  of  sleep  consists  in  the  full 


228  SLEEP 

measure  thereof.  This  natural  sleep  or  muscular 
sleep  can  only  be  obtained  by  those  who  work 
with  their  muscles  more  than  by  their  brains,  or 
those  who,  though  brain-workers,  take  sufficient 
muscular,  outdoor  exercise  that  they  do  not  suffer 
with  brain  fag.  The  farmer,  the  mountaineer,  the 
hunter,  and  the  wise  student  who  indulges  in  athle- 
tic sports  proportioned  to  his  physical  strength, 
enjoy  the  luxury  of  this  downy  sleep,  one  of  the 
happiest  of  earthly  boons.  We  should  be  as  anx- 
ious to  secure  the  necessary  amount  of  sleep  as  we 
are  to  obtain  sufficient  sustenance.  We  need  rest, 
and  not  seldom  are  forced  to  rest,  but  a  natural 
good  and  sound  sleep  is  the  rest  of  rests. 

There  are  some  lethargic  individuals  who  have 
the  inclination  to  indulge  in  sleep  to  excess,  which, 
like  every  excess,  does  positive  harm. 

A  disease  knov/n  as  "Sleeping  Dropsy"  prevails 
among  the  negro  inhabitants  of  the  Atlantic  Coast 
in  tropical  Africa.  This  peculiar  affection  is  char- 
acterized by  frontal  headache,  and  a  disposition  to 
fall  asleep  after  meals,  which  increases  until  the 
patient  at  length  merges  into  a  continuous  sleep- 
ing state.    There  is  no  fever,  nor  any  other  abnor- 


SLEEP  229 

mal  condition  except  sluggishness  of  the  intellectual 
faculties.  After  a  few  weeks,  a  weak  heart,  muscu- 
lar tremor  and  a  quiet  death  end  the  scene. 

There  are  other  conditions  in  which  the  tendency 
to  sleep  is  the  principal  feature;  but  tliese  are  asso- 
ciated with  diseases  of  which  we  are  not  treating. 
There  are  some  sluggards  and  drones  who  from 
force  of  habit  are  continually  dozing,  and  whose 
constitutions  fall  below  the  standard  that  is  indis- 
pensable to  a  life  of  action.  But  the  num.ber  of 
those  who  sleep  to  excess  is  small,  compared  to 
the  large  number  of  insomnious^  whose  occupations 
do  not  allow  them  to  devote  sufficient  time  to  sleep. 
Many,  very  many  must  content  themselves  with 
five  or  some  even  four  hours  of  sleep  out  of  tvs'enty- 
four.  Well,  indeed,  is  it  in  many  respects  that 
we  are  creatures  of  habit  and  circumstances,  nature 
accustoming  herself  to  many  and  often  great  priva- 
tions. What  the  result  will  be  in  the  long  run  upon 
the  tires  of  life  will  depend  upon  the  material  in 
each  individual  case,  or  vehicle  of  life.  The  wear 
and  tear  as  we  say,  will  be  greater  with  some  than 
with  others. 

Night  time  is  the  most  propitious  for  good  sleep. 


230  SLEEP 

The  day  for  work,  the  night  for  rest.  Absence  of 
light  therefore  seems  a  natural  condition  for  invit- 
ing sleep,  as  well  as  cessation  of  the  noise  of  the 
day-time.  Deplorable  is  the  condition  of  those, 
and  they  are  nowadays  legion,  who  are  com- 
pelled to  change  night  into  day.  The  require- 
ments of  modern  civilization,  the  ceaseless  whirl 
of  steam  and  electricity,  the  worry,  flurry,  hurry 
and  scurry  of  our  fast  age  have  changed  the  natural 
rhythm  and  time  for  sleep.  We  are  steering  by 
a  needle  and  chart  of  our  own  fashioning,  and  driv- 
ing against  and  gradually  undermining  the  great 
fabric  of  our  constitutions,  the  nervous  system,  re- 
sulting in  the  well  known  modern  phenomenon 
Insomnia,  (sleeplessness,  or  inability  to  sleep).  This 
condition  should  be  distinguished  from  the  sleep- 
lessness existing  generally  in  all  cases  of  organic 
disease,  or  painful  affections.  Nervous  debility, 
from  whatever  cause,  tends  to  Insomnia. 

It  may  show  itself  in  a  troubled  and  unrefreshing 
sleep  of  a  few  hours'  duration,  after  which  the 
patient  tosses  until  morning,  or  it  may  continue  for 
several  days.  It  is  an  injury  to  the  system  to  lose 
one  night's  sleep,  more  so  to  be  awake  for  two 
consecutive  nights,  and  the  injury  grows  in  propor- 


^^i^^^&Sv?Wm 


t- 


U 


■/  .-,•  *'  t  •  I 


.>^5^7 


A  -^4 


fi^i 


"Another  sleepless  night  I  '* 


SLEEP  231 

tion  to  the  loss  of  sleep.  The  insomnious  may  dose 
at  times,  a  bad,  disorderly  habit,  but  this  is  due  only 
to  the  overpowered,  but  not  well  rested  members 
of  the  body.  As  troubles  and  anxieties  drive  some 
to  drinking,  so  insomnia  may  be  the  means  of  many 
becoming  slaves  to  the  use  of  morphia,  chloral, 
etc. 

Artificial  sleep  produced  by  drugs  is  a  poor  sub- 
stitute for  natural  sleep.  It  should  be  sought  only 
in  sickness,  and  with  the  advice  of  the  physician. 
!Many  who  have  neglected  this  counsel  took  an 
overdose,  and  their  sleep  knew  no  awakening.  But 
what  are  the  effects  of  artificially  produced  sleep? 
Such  a  condition  must  be  considered  as  far  from 
the  good  effects  of  natural  sleep  as  art  is  from  the 
perfection  of  nature.  It  is  a  counterfeit  of  sleep. 
Drugs  that  are  administered  in  sleep-producing 
doses  poison  the  system  a  little;  in  larger  doses  they 
paralyze  the  nerve  centres — they  kill.  Rather  than 
die  from  insomnia,  we  may  use  medicines  that  will 
produce  sleep,  but  ever  and  always  under  the  direc- 
tion of  the  physician  who  knows  the  condition  of 
the  constitution  of  the  sufferer,  and  the  proper  dose 
that  can  be  safelv  administered. 


232  SLEEP 

What  a  dangerous  fascination  and  a  captivating, 
slavish  allurement  are  to  be  found  in  the  use  of 
opium,  (morphine,  laudanum,  paregoric)  !  About 
fifteen  minutes  after  a  small  dose  is  administered, 
a  slight  feeling  of  warmth  is  experienced  in  the 
stomach,  followed  by  a  sense  of  fullness  in  the 
head,  slight  flushing  of  the  face,  and  a  more  brilliant 
expression  of  the  eyes.  There  is  a  feehng  of  de- 
licious ease  and  comfort,  ideas  flow  more  rapidly, 
the  orator  becomes  more  eloquent,  the  poet,  more 
fanciful,  the  philosopher,  deeper  in  thought.  There 
is  a  disposition  to  do  greater  and  better  things.  The 
whole  moral  and  intellectual  nature  for  the  time  is 
exhalted,  even  muscular  energy  and  the  capacity 
to  bear  fatigue  are  increased.  Under  the  influence 
of  a  larger  dose,  the  stage  of  cerebral  (brain)  excite- 
ment is  of  much  shorter  duration,  the  acts  of  breath- 
ing, snoring,  etc.,  not  so  deep,  the  heart's  force  is 
lessened,  pupils  are  contracted,  ideas  are  now  con- 
fused, and  in  many  persons  there  is  intense  itching, 
especially  about  the  orifices  of  the  nose.  Tolerance 
increases  by  larger  doses,  and  in  a  short  time 
poisonous  doses  are  taken  with  impunity  so  far  as 
the  immediate  danger  to  life  is  concerned.      To 


SLEEP  «33 

those  not  accustomed  to  the  use  of  opium  there  ar? 
generally  headache,  nausea,  vomiting,  loss  of  appe- 
tite, etc. 

Opium   in   small   doses  can  be  taken  by   some 
persons   for   a  long  time   without   producing  any 
marked  derangement  of  the  constitution;  but  in  the 
majority  of  instances  after  a  short  period  the  appe- 
tite fails,  there  are  loathing  for  food,  emaciation 
and  great  mental  depression,  countenance  dull,  skin 
pale  and  muddy,  troublesome  itching  and  trembling 
of  the  hands  and  tongue,  or  marked  nervous  de- 
bility. Those  that  use  it  as  morphine  with  the  hypo- 
dermic syringe  suffer  from  ulcerations  of  the  skin 
caused  by  puncturing  with   the  needle.     Persons 
who  indulge  in  the  habit  of  using  sleep-producing 
remedies  'Svind  themselves,"  as  Kane  has  well  said, 
"in  the  silken  meshes  of  a  fascinating  net,  which 
cnly  too  soon  may  prove  too  strong  to  admit  of 

breaking." 

The  opium-eating  habit  prevails  chiefly  in 
Turkey,  Persia  and  India.  The  ^lohammedan  is 
prohibited  by  the  Koran  from  using  alcohol,  but 
the  more  destructive  agent,  opium,  is  substituted. 
The  danger  of  the  habitual  use  of  the  drug  is  further 


234  SLEEP 

enhanced  in  view  of  the  fact  that  it  allays  the  pangs 
of  hunger. 

Chloral,  the  Bromides  (soda,  potash,  etc.)  and  the 
coal  tar  derivatives  (antipyrine,  antifebrlne,  phe- 
nacetine,  acetanilid,  sulphonal,  etc.),  used  for  the 
relief  of  sleeplessness,  are  possessed  of  much  the 
same  objectionable  features  that  characterize  the 
use  of  opium.  Their  continued  use  will  play  havoc 
with  the  nervous  system  and  weaken  the  heart. 

It  is  undoubtedly  a  sign  as  well  as  a  proof  of  the 
efifeminacy  of  the  times  that  there  should  be  such 
a  large  and  ever  increasing  consumption  of  opiates 
and  other  pain-reHeving  agents,  of  which  only  a 
small  proportion  is  prescribed  by  physicians.  While 
it  is  true  as  a  rule  that  pain  cannot  be  borne  so 
courageously  by  the  lounging  clubman,  the 
"dressed-to-kiir  follower  of  fashion,  the  nervous 
debutante,  or  the  prudish  chaperon  of  city  life,  so 
well  as  by  the  hardy  mountaineer,  or  the  untram- 
melled prairie  girl,  yet  the  implorations  for  relief 
of  pain  are  often  too  quickly  responded  to  by  some 
physicians  and  druggists,  whose  duty  seems  to  be 
to  please  their  patients  and  patrons,  by  giving  them 


SLEEP  235 

opiates  rather  than  by  treating  properly  the  existing 
condition. 

Let  the  question  be  asked  at  the  society  circle, 
the  tea  party,  or  the  ice  cream  festival,  which  is  the 
best  medicine  with  which  to  obtain  sleep?  and  the 
confidence  and  effrontery  of  those  self-constituted 
prescribers  of  medicinal  agents  would  put  to  shame 
the  knowledge  of  Gross,  Flint,  Bell,  or  Davis!    No 
question  of  the  cause  of  the  sleeplessness  nor  of 
the  condition  of  any  of  the  internal  organs!    Try 
the  remedy  recommended  by  Mr.  So  and  So,  be- 
come a  weakling  in   consequence,   or   possibly   a 
corpse! 

About  one  in  ten  persons  in  a  community  are 
considered  by  observers  as  susceptible  to  the  in- 
fluence of  hypnotism,  or  artificial  somnambulism. 
The  hysterical,  the  debilitated,  and  those  possessed 
of  a  highly  unstable  condition  of  the  nervous  sys- 
tem, easily  influenced  by  expectant  attention,  are 
the  best  subjects  for  the  practice  of  hypnotism. 
Women  are  therefore  more  liable  to  be  hypnotized 
than  men.  One  may  be  hypnotized  by  gentle  fric- 
tion, another  by  pressure  upon  the  eye-lids,  requir- 
ing the  person  to  fix  the  gaze  intently  on  some 


236  SLEEP 

definite  object,  while  another  is  influenced  by  star- 
ing at  a  bright  or  kiminous  object  placed  above 
and  only  a  few  inches  from  the  eyes.  Those  in  the 
hypnotic  trance  can  easily  be  awakened  by  sudden 
shaking  or  shocks  by  fanning,  or  placing  a  strong 
light  before  the  eyes.  There  is  an  element  of  disease 
in  all  those  that  are  so  easily  hypnotized;  some 
irritable  disposition,  or  some  functional  or  organic 
disturbance  of  the  nervous  system  is  at  the  bottom. 

Iridescent  dreams  and  night  terrors  are  usually 
the  result  of  derangement  of  the  digestive  appara- 
tus. 

He  who  is  immersed  in  the  profound  quietude 
of  a  real  good  sound  sleep,  experiences  no  unde- 
finable  depression,  is  not  disturbed  by  frightful 
dreams  of  dangers  and  narrow  escapes,  is  not 
harassed  by  visions  of  phantoms  and  terrors,  his 
breathing  is  not  upset  by  loud  and  sudden 
sighs;  there  is  neither  moaning,  groaning  or  snor- 
ing; there  is  no  talking,  singing  or  screaming  dur- 
ing sleep;  there  are  no  motions  with  the  arms  as 
if  warding  off  something  menacing,  or  making 
frantic  efforts  to  strike  or  fight  somebody,  and  last 
there  is  no  turning  into  a  somnambulist,  getting  out 


SLEEP  237 

of  bed  and  perambulating  through  the  house  or 
performing  the  wonderful  feats  of  an  acrobat. 
Nothing  of  all  this  happens  to  the  placid  sleeper, 
but  his  real  good,  sound  sleep  is  as  that  of  the 
healthy  babe  upon  its  mother's  arms. 

What  are  the  best  means  of  obtaining  sleep?    If 
disease  exists,  the  removal  of  the  cause  and  treat- 
ment of  the  trouble  must  be  attended  to  as  far  as 
possible.     Fever  of  any  kind,  or  inflammation  in 
any  portion  of  the  body,  or  a  painful  affection  such 
as  rheumatism,  neuralgia  or  injury  of  any  kind  may 
prevent  sleep.     Overloading  the  stomach,  dyspep- 
sia, constipation,  or  any  debilitated  condition  may 
be  the  cause  of  sleeplessness.     If  any  of  those  con- 
ditions exist,  the  proper  treatment  by  a  physician 
should  be  resorted  to.     In  addition  to  these  easily 
ascertained   causes,  there  are  quite   a   number  of 
persons  who  suffer  with  insomnia  from  little  irritat- 
ing influences,  not  well  marked  diseased  conditions, 
that  refer  to  habit  and  surroundings.    The  mother 
who  puts  her  children  to  bed  regularly  by  the  clock 
will  be  well  rewarded  for  such  good  discipline  by 
training  them  naturally  for  one  of  the  most  neces- 
sary and  healthful  requirements  of  life,  that  of  good 


238  SLEEP 

sleep.  Those  parents  who  are  often  observed  at 
night,  tossing  and  tumbhng  their  sleepy  children 
in  the  street-cars  of  our  cities,  or  shaking  them 
rudely  to  keep  them  awake,  are  guilty  of  a  mis- 
chievous practice  that  may  seriously  affect  the 
health  of  their  dear  ones  later  in  life.  As  the  fowl 
go  to  roost  when  darkness  sets  in,  so  persons  with 
insomnia  should  retire  early,  or  be  put  to  bed  at 
a  certain  time  every  night,  and  resolutely  continue 
this  habit  for  several  nights,  rather  than  have  re- 
course to  the  aid  of  medicines.  The  excellent  ad- 
vice of  Fielding  that  ''one  hour's  sleep  before  mid- 
night is  worth  two  after,"  should  be  remembered. 
But  it  may  be  asked  how  can  the  business  man  with 
a  worried  mind  bid  his  troubles  and  anxieties  to 
cease  at  will?  He  can  lay  the  ledger  and  cash 
book  aside,  but  not  his  thoughts  concerning  them. 
The  worried  cannot  hide  the  cause  of  his  discom- 
fort from  himself.  The  task  is  difficult,  but  not 
impossible.  Whatever  is  difficult  requires  will  power 
and  continued  efforts.  The  mind  is  not  controllable 
or  tractable,  because  no  special  efforts  have  been 
made  by  the  will  to  make  it  so. 

No  thought  of  trying  to  go  to  sleep  must  be 


SLEEP  239 

entertained.  The  more  quickly  and  easily  we  go 
to  sleep  the  better. 

The  business  man  must  learn  how  to  dismiss  the 
cares  of  store,  factory,  or  office,  and  the  worried, 
how  to  bury  worry.  The  mind  should  indulge  in 
pleasing  fancy  with  itself;  subjects  and  undertak- 
ings of  a  pure  benevolent  nature  should  be  thought 
of,  that  are  entirely  different  from  the  routine  of 
the  day's  work.  A  trip  to  California  or  the  Klon- 
dike, striking  a  rich  mine,  becoming  wealthy  and 
devoting  considerable  of  their  good  fortune  to 
humanitarian  objects  will  have  a  tranquilizing  effect 
on  the  minds  of  many  victims  of  insomnia.  At- 
tendance at  the  theatre  listening  to  light  music,  or 
watching  the  innocent  dance  of  happy  children,  may 
lull  the  mind  to  unconsciousness.  Sterne  says: 
"There  are  many  ways  of  inducing  sleep — the 
thinking  of  purling  rills,  of  waving  woods,  the  reck- 
oning of  numbers;  droppings  from  a  wet  sponge, 
fixed  over  a  brass  pan,  etc.  But  temperance  and 
exercise  answer  much  better  than  any  of  these  suc- 
cedaneum.s." 

While  it  is  desirable  as  a  rule  that  eight  hours' 
sound  sleep  out  of  twenty-four  should  be  obtained 


240  SLEEP 

and  maintained  during  adult  life,  habit  "with  its 
iron  sinews,  clasps  and  leads  us  day  by  day;"  so 
that  many  can  get  along  with  less  sleep.  Children 
in  the  stage  of  growth  and  development  require 
more  time  for  sleep  than  adults,  and  in  the  declin- 
ing days,  or  evening  of  life,  when  the  vital  func- 
tions are  not  very  active,  less  sleep  is  required. 
Some  constitutions  require  nine  hours'  sleep,  while 
many  do  not  need  more  than  six.  In  Northern 
countries  people  sleep  more  than  they  do  in  warmer 
climes. 

The  use  of  the  warm  bath,  particularly  for  those 
not  accustomed  to  active  muscular  exercise  has  a 
very  soothing  influence,  and  is  a  valuable  aid  to 
produce  sleep.  Some  with  vigorous  constitutions 
can  use  the  cold  bath.  The  laborer,  by  his  muscu- 
lar toil  stimulates  the  action  of  the  skin,  throws  ofT 
a  great  deal  of  waste,  and  really  in  this  manner 
takes  what  may  be  termed  a  bath.  But  the  profes- 
sional or  business  man  who  works  with  his  brain, 
and  those  who  do  little  or  no  work  will  find  that 
a  warm  bath  in  the  majority  of  instances,  and  exer- 
cise by  rubbing  and  scrubbing  the  skin  with  a  flesh 
brush,  to  the  point  of  inducing  fatigue,  are  among 


SLEEP  241 

the  most  valuable  adjuncts  in  the  treatment  o! 
simple  or  functional  insomnia.  There  is  little  ad- 
vantage derived  from  putting  the  feet  in  warm 
water,  or  v/ashing  the  face  and  head  with  cold 
water;  great  good  can  only  be  accomplished  by 
immersing  the  whole  body,  and  causing  fatigue  of 
the  muscular  system.  Flagellation  with  a  coarse 
towel  may  be  resorted  to.  Massage  and  exercise 
by  the  patient,  unless  he  is  too  much  debilitated 
should  be  used,  rather  than  the  massage  obtained 
by  employing  the  professional  masseur. 

While  some  can  sleep  in  any  position,  in  any 
place  and  under  almost  any  circumstances,  the  bed, 
temperature,  and  surroundings  are  often  matters  of 
great  importance  to  the  Insomnious.  The  soldier 
may  sleep  in  the  saddle  while  on  the  march,  the 
sailor  when  the  storm  is  raging,  the  miller  amid 
the  din  of  machinery.  They  may  be  awakened 
when  the  noise  or  motion  to  which  they  have  been 
accustomed,  stops.  Sleep  can  therefore  take  place 
under  the  strangest  circumstances,  and  most  pecu- 
liar influences.  Those  in  good  health  as  well  as 
those  suffering  from  simple  insomnia,  as  a  rule, 
sleep  better  while  lying  on  the  right  side.     This  is 


242  SLEEP 

due  to  the  fact  that  the  food  gravitates  more  easily 
from  the  left  to  the  right  side  into  the  intestines, 
and  the  ponderous  liver  does  not  press  against  the 
stomach  and  upper  portion  of  the  bowel.  Lying 
flat  on  the  back  is  a  position  assumed  in  marked 
cases  of  debility  or  exhaustion^  as  it  secures  muscu- 
lar rest.  It  is  objectionable,  however,  in  weak  con- 
ditions of  tlie  heart,  or  in  some  affections  of  the 
lungs  and  brain^  as  the  blood  seems  to  gravitate  to 
the  upper  and  back  portions  of  the  lungs  and  back 
of  the  head.  As  the  uvula  then  hangs  on  the  back 
portion  of  the  tongue,  and  partially  closes  the 
trachea  (windpipe),  snoring  is  more  likely  to  occur 
in  this  position.  Cramped  positions  in  bed  should 
be  avoided. 

Those  having  any  spinal  curvature,  or  who  are 
stooped,  or  whose  chests  are  contracted  do  not 
usually  sleep  well  on  their  backs.  Cold  feet,  In- 
sufficient or  too  much  bed  covering,  and  a  close, 
warm  room  are  not  conducive  to  sound  sleep.  A 
bed  with  a  comfortable  mattress  is  preferable  to  a 
feather  bed,  or  a  hard  bed.  The  odor  of  feathers 
gives  rise  in  some  susceptible  persons  to  attacks 
of  asthma. 


SLEEP  243 

The  bed-room  should  be  well  ventilated,  kept 
clean,  and  receive  plenty  of  sunlight.  It  should 
have  no  unpleasant  odors. 

Insomnia,  often  a  precursory  symptom  of  serious 
illness  and  danger  in  diseases  of  the  brain  and  other 
organs,  or  simple,  functional  sleeplessness,  should 
be  treated  at  its  very  incipiency  by  the  experienced 
physician,  not  by  the  druggist,  or  the  "curer"  by 
pictorial  advertisements.  To  give  sleep  to  the  sleep- 
less, without  injury  to  the  constitution,  should  not 
be  considered  a  trivial  matter. 

The  whole  book  of  the  sufiferer's  life  must  be 
laid  open  to  the  physician  in  order  that  the  proper 
aid  may  be  administered. 

'To  sleep — there  is  a  drowsy  mellifluence  in  the 
very  word  that  would  almost  interpret  its  meaning, 
— to  shut  up  the  senses  and  hoodwink  the  soul;  to 
dismiss  the  world;  to  escape  from  one's  self;  to  be 
in  ienorance  of  our  own  existence;  to  stagnate 
upon  the  earth,  first  breathing  out  the  hours,  not 
living  them,  doing  no  mischief,  only  dreaming  of 
it,  neither  merry  nor  melancholy,  something  be- 
tween both  and  better  than  either.  Best  friend  of 
frail  humanity,  and  like  all  other  friends,  best  esti- 
mated in  its  loss."    (Longfellow.) 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

SUMMARY    AND    CONCLUSION 

We  Stand  on  the  threshold  of  a  new  century.  We 
know  that  the  tendency  of  the  outgoing  one  has 
been  towards  effeminacy.  The  set  purpose  of  this 
treatise  is  to  call  a  halt  in  this  ruinous  course.  It 
aims  to  contribute  its  share,  and  no  small  share,  to- 
wards forming  healthier,  sturdier  generations  for  the 
new  century,  with  more  power  of  resistance  to  dis- 
ease. To  secure  such  desirable  results,  it  is  of  para- 
mount importance  to  put  away  some  pet  notions  in 
regard  to  our  manner  of  living,  and  to  accept  some 
wholesome  regulations  for  maintaining  or  recover- 
ing our  health.  These  regulations  are  dictated  by 
sound  reason  and  solid  learning,  by  long  experi- 
ence and  close  observation. 

Perfection  in  art  is  rare  and  precious.  A  master- 
piece in  painting  or  sculpture  is  as  the  French  say, 
"sans  prix,"  that  is,  without  price,  inestimable.  May 

(244) 


SUMMARY  AND  CONCLUSION  245 

not  the  same  be  said  of  perfect  health?  Who  has 
it?  It  is  as  rare  and  as  precious  as  the  artist's  best 
production.  Yet  health  is  most  needed  to  go 
through  life  with  ease  and  comfort.  All  know  the 
adage  "health  is  wealth;"  yet,  singularly  indeed, 
few  seem  to  care  to  have  it.  A  millionaire  said, 
he  would  give  the  half  of  his  fortune  to  be  pos- 
sessed of  a  good  stomach;  another,  to  have  straight 
limbs;  and  still  another,  to  be  able  to  sleep,  when 
sleep  was  needed. 

Many  learn  the  truth  too  late,  that  good  health 
is  the  boon  of  life.    How  so?    Because  they  prefer 
to  follow  inclinations,  desires,  and  habits,  that  are 
sure  to  undermine  any  constitution  even  if  it  were 
as     strong     and     solid     as    the     castle     of    Sant' 
Angelo  in  Rome.     Health  is  generally  not  appre- 
ciated until  it  is  partially  or  totally  lost.     Restora- 
tion is  uncertain,  difficult,  costly,  and  often  impossi- 
ble.   What  are  the  causes  of  ill  health?    Tliey  can 
be  divided  into  the  entirely,  or  for  the  most  part,  un- 
avoidable; and  the  entirely,  or  for  the  most  part, 
avoidable.  To  the  unavoidable  belong  the  predispo- 
sition, or  vulnerability  of  constitution  from  heredi- 
ty, also  malformation  of  the  body,  and  all  the  various 


246  SUMMARY  AND  CONCLUSION 

occupations  in  life,  which  are  detrimental  to  good 
health.  The  more  or  less  avoidable  causes  of  ill 
health  are  far  more  numerous,  and  far  more  disas- 
trous. The  chief  amongst  them  is,  what  is  now 
termed  "fast  living."  This  is  the  hydraheaded 
monster  which  poisons  the  cup  of  life,  and  counts 
its  victims  by  the  thousand.  Fast  livers  may  be 
called  those  who  not  only  lose  no  opportunities  of 
enjoyment,  but  also  seek  them  according  to  the 
full  extent  of  their  means.  A  night's  reveling  is 
more  desirable  to  such^  than  the  refreshment  of 
"balmy  sleep."  In  a  word,  they  are  those  who  make 
the  m.ost  of  life  in  the  shortest  possible  space  of 
time;  those  who  purposely,  or  at  least  more  or  less 
consciously,  are  hastening  to  their  graves. 

Excess  and  defect  may  be  considered  as  general 
causes  of  ill-health.  Excess  in  mental  or  bodily 
strain;  excess  in  quality  and  quantity  of  food  and 
drink;  and  excess  in  indulgence  of  life's  dissipations 
and  pleasures.  Then,  defect  in  hygienic  training; 
defect  in  proper  exercise  and  diet,  and  defect  in 
proper  care  of  one's  health.    Of  excess  may  be  said: 

Indulgence  short,  long  aches  can  bring; 

Excessive  pleasures  have  their  sting. 


SUMMARY  AND  CONCLUSION  247 

For  defect  the  following  will  serve: 

Be  active,  prudent,  unrepining; 

In  mode  of  life  these  three  combining, 

The  humblest  thus  may  win  a  shining. 

Act  well  thy  part,  without  regard 

To  lot,  position— sure  reward. 
But  who  have  genuine  good  health?  Who  have 
a  sound  mind  and  a  sound  body?  Few,  very  few, 
indeed.  They  form  a  rare  exception  at  the  present 
time.  This  century  points  to  Gladstone  of  Eng- 
land, to  Bismark  of  Germany,  and  to  Leo  XIII  of 
Rome.  These  are  certainly  remarkable  specimens 
of  health,  activity,  and  consequent  longevity.  The 
basis  of  good  health  lies  in  a  vigorous  constitution, 
In  the  unimpaired  functions  of  all  the  constituent 
parts  of  the  body.  This  constitution  and  condition 
of  the  body  must  be,  in  the  first  instance,  duly  in- 
herited, and  in  the  second  place,  steadily  main- 
tained. Physical  strength  and  well-being  depend 
upon  Digestion,  Respiration  and  Circulation. 

One  must  be  able  to  digest  well  the  food  he  re- 
ceives; the  lungs  must  make  breathing  free,  full 
and  easy;  and  the  blood  must  circulate  throughout 
the  whole  system,  and  do  so  uniformly. 


248  SUMMARY  AND  CONCLUSION 

To  atttain  to  a  higher,  nobler,  and  securer  stand- 
ard of  healthy  there  are  three  more  requisites,  which 
go  far  to  enhance  the  charm  of  Hfe  for  ourselves 
and  others,  by  regulating  our  habits  and  conduct. 
These  are  Cleanliness  in  all  things,  on,  and  about 
us;  Temperance  in  its  widest  sense;  and  Industry 
in  every  sense.  The  first  three  are  rather  given  or 
inherited  than  acquired;  these  latter  three  depend 
upon  our  individual  exertions. 

By  the  habit  of  cleanliness,  are  warded  off  the 
dangers  of  infection  arising  from  filth  and  its  con- 
comitants. By  being  temperate,  moderate,  in  all 
things,  the  undue,  unruly  cravings,  apt  to  lead  to 
excess,  are  either  curbed  or  entirely  suppressed,  By 
industry,  the  mind  and  body  receive  the  proper 
exercise,  without  which  health  cannot  endure  for 
any  length  of  time.  By  means  of  these  three,  one's 
position  in  life  can  be  usefully  and  honorably  filled. 

Whoever  has  all  six  requisites  united  in  himself 
or  herself,  joined  to  an  agreeable  disposition  and 
a  high  point  of  honor,  such  a  one  is  indeed  the 
ideal  man  or  woman  of  physical  beauty,  of  physical 
and  moral  strength.    May  such  be  multiplied  in  the 


SUMMARY  AND  CONCLUSION  249 

land  of  our  fathers  and  in  the  inheritance  of  our 
children! 

Who  and  what  are  the  thoroughly  healthy?  They 
are  those  who  are  capable  of  enjoying  life,  and 
enjoying  it  rationally.  They  are  those  who  have 
not  lost  the  merry,  ringing  laugh  of  childhood, 
nor  the  -brightness  from  their  eyes.  They  are  those 
who,  whether  rich  or  poor,  high  or  low,  possess 
what  wealth  cannot  bestow,  nature's  most  valuable 
gift  to  the  body,  viz.:  Strong  bones,  firm  muscles, 
the  full  vigor  and  strength  that  constitutes  the 
splendid  physique. 

They  are  those  on  whom  the  burdens  of  life  sit 
lightly,  who  almost  playfully  go  through  their  daily 
task.  Though  they  may  tire,  they  know  that  food 
and  drink,  which  they  always  relish,  will  restore 
their  strength,  and  that  a  refreshing  sleep  awaits 
them  at  night.  They  are  those  who  are  in  the  best 
condition  to  brave  the  battles  of  life,  who  can 
courageously  meet  its  cares,  its  difficulties,  its  dis- 
appointments, and  even  its  moral  and  physical  suf- 
ferings. Such  are  peers  among  their  associates; 
and  what  is  deemed  so  desirable  by  all,  the  calm 
of  old  age  smiles  upon  them  from  the  far  distance. 


250  SUMMARY  AND  CONCLUSION 

They  are  those,  finally,  who  alone  of  all  others,  die 
a  natural  death,  in  the  true  sense  of  the  word.  For, 
to  die  from  the  effects  of  an  ill-regulated  life,  from 
accident  or  sickness,  is  properly  speaking  a  death 
by  force,  a  violent  death.  Such  healthy,  sturdy 
ones,  the  family,  the  nation,  the  age  needs.  Such 
are  an  honor  to  our  race  and  country.  Such  are 
fit  to  become  heroes  and  heroines.  Apart  from 
disturbing  factors,  the  healthy  children  are  full  of 
mirth  and  promise;  the  healthy  youths  and  maidens, 
full  of  ardor  and  enjoyment;  the  healthy  adults,  full 
of  power  and  endurance;  and  the  healthy  aged,  full 
of  placid  contentment  and  deserved  honor. 

But  what  words  of  comfort  and  encouragement 
can  be  given  to  the  delicate,  the  feeble,  the  con- 
firmed invalid?  First  of  all,  they  must  not  lose 
courage  or  hope  of  recovery,  however  faint  this 
may  be.  Many  bad  rents  have  been  mended;  many 
weak  and  delicate  instruments  have  served  their 
purpose  for  a  long  time,  because  they  were  handled 
carefully  and  preserved  cautiously.  In  like  manner 
the  delicate,  the  feeble,  the  invalid,  and  all  those 
whose  constitutions  have  become  debilitated,  whose 
vital  functions  are  more  or  less  impaired,  may  yet 


SUMMARY  AND  CONCLUSION  251 

live  a  long  time,  perhaps  outlive  many  who  arc 
robust,  but  careless.    In  their  case  it  will  be  neces- 
sary to  observe  the  given  directions  in  a  stricter 
manner.    The  words,  Beware,  Avoid  and  Restrain, 
have  for  them  still  more  significance  and  necessity. 
They  should  not  only  beware  of  what  is  positively 
injurious,  but  also  use  caution  in  wdiat  they  apply, 
consume,  and  imbibe  for  the  good  of  their  health. 
These,  principally,  stand  in  need  of  being  warned 
ao-ainst  dosing  themselves  with  nostrums,  patent 
medicines    and    ''sure    cures"    recommended    by 
friends  and  neighbors,  or  by  the  unscrupulous  ad- 
vertisements of  quacks  and  faddists,  who  play  upon 
their  credulity  and  weaknesses.    The  safest  plan  for 
all  sickly  persons  is  to  obtain  the  proper  direction 
in  regard  to  diet  and  mode  of  living  from  a  physi- 
cian, and  to  take  no  other  medicines  than  those 
prescribed  by  him. 

But  it  must  always  be  borne  in  mind,  that  the 
efforts  of  the  physician  must  be  seconded  by  punc- 
tual observance  of  his  directions,  and  by  struggling 
bravely  against  depressing  influences  upon  one's 
mind  and  body.    Whoever  has  heard  of  a  man  being 


252  SUMMARY  AND  CONCLUSION 

freed   from   melancholy,   unless   he   himself   made 
efiforts  to  shake  it  off? 

Restoration  to  health  undoubtedly  depends  upon 
co-operation  with  medication.    A  common  and  ac- 
cepted adage  is:    ''As  long  as  there  is  hfe  there  is 
hope."    Hope,  therefore,  must  never  be  abandoned. 
Even  if  a  disease  be  considered  ''incurable,"  like 
cancer  and  consumption,  a  hopeful  disposition  still 
helps  to  bear  up  by  being  resigned,  and  even  cheer- 
ful as  far  as  possible.    It  is  wonderful  how  a  weak- 
ened constitution  can  be  spun  out  to  a  great  length 
by  proper  care  and  attention.     Never  give  up  the 
ship,  until  you  see  it   sinking.      Will-power    is    a 
very  potent  factor  under  all  circumstances;  hence, 
also,  during  the  ravages  of  disease.    A  determina- 
tion not  to  succumb  until  s'heer  necessity  obliges, 
gives  buoyancy  to  the  mind,  and  a  certain  control 
over  the  body,  that  can  materially  assist  in  prolong- 
ing life.  The  undaunted  captain  may  steer  his  sink- 
ing ship  near  shore;  v/nilst  loss  of  courage  means 
loss  of  help  and  life. 

The  other  two  words.  Avoid,  Restrain,  have  still 
greater  significance  for  the  invalid.  Such  a  one 
must  cautiously  avoid  all  risks  of  aggravating  the 


SUMMARY  AND  CONCLUSION  253 

trouble  by  any  unnecessary  exposure,  over-fatigue, 
and  all  depressing  cares  of  the  mind  on  account  of 
any  unavoidable  circumstances  in  family  or  business 
afifairs.  The  adage  holds  perfectly  in  this  case: 
''What  you  cannot  cure,  that  you  must  endure." 
The  convalescent  must  mind  the  word,  Restrain. 
Restrain  the  returning  appetite;  restrain  the  desire 
to  undertake  work  or  attend  to  business,  before  suf- 
ficient strength  has  been  regained. 

In  this  respect  there  are  not  infrequently  grave, 
and  not  seldom,  fatal  mistakes  made.  There  comes 
a  relapse  which  is  generally  worse  than  the  first 
attack,  and  often  of  longer  duration.  To  say  the 
least,  when  the  little  strength  is  used  too  soon,  it 
is  quickly  exhausted,  and  the  system  rendered  un- 
able to  recover  its  full  vigor.  When  the  pains  and 
aches  of  sickness  have  left,  that  is  no  sign  or  proof 
that  a  person  is  well,  or  that  he  is  in  the  same 
condition  as  was  the  case  before  the  illness  came 
on.  It  is  true,  that  convalescence  may  take  place 
with  some  persons  in  a  very  short  time,  in  the  space 
of  a  few  days  or  weeks;  but  such  instances  arc  rath- 
er exceptions  to  the  rule  in  any  grave  illness.  On  re- 
turning health,   it   is  beneficial   to   take   moderate 


254  SUMMARY  AND  CONCLUSION 

exercise;  ''seek  often  sunshine  and  fresh  air;"  but 
no  one  should  attempt  to  run  before  he  is  able  to 
walk. 

There   is   still   another   class    of   sufferers    and, 
strange  to  say,  real  sufferers  too,  who,  though  they 
get  and  deserve  little  sympathy,  must  here  receive 
a  passing  notice.     They  are   the   imaginary   sick. 
How  comes  it  to  pass  that  such  an  anomaly  should 
occur?     Tlie  power  of  imagination  and  an  over- 
weening anxiety  about  health  are  at  fault.     Imagi- 
nary sick  are  those  who,  with  more  or  less  reasons 
for  complaint,  imagine  themselves  far  worse  than 
they  really  are,  or  imagine  they  have  this  or  that 
disease,  when  in  truth  there  is  no  foundation  for 
the  supposition.     Those   of  weak   minds,   nervous 
constitutions,  consequently  with  less  courage;  those 
who  easily  become  depressed  or  melancholy;   those 
who  worry  over  small  matters  and  are  inclined  to 
exaggerate  their  pains  and  aches,  are  the  fit  sub- 
jects for  imaginary  sickness.     They  do  not  know, 
but  they  believe  that  they  are  sick.     They  brood 
over  their  supposed  troubles  until  real  trouble  does 
make  its   appearance.     It   is   undeniable   that   the 
imagination   has   a  powerful   influence,    especially 


SUMMARY  AND  CONCLUSION  256 

with  some,  upon  mind  and  body.    What  recommen- 
dations can  be  given  to  such  imaginary  sick?     It 
will  not  do  to  deny  their  troubles  or  their  aches; 
it  might  in  many  cases  make  matters  worse.     Per- 
haps some  of  them  are  not  conscious  of  being  them- 
selves the  cause  of  their  complaints.    With  all  such, 
kindness  and  patience  are  primarily,  and  unrelent- 
ingly required.    Then  it  must  be  remembered  that 
kindness  is  twice  bestowed,  when  bestov/ed  upon 
the  undeserving  as  in  this  case. 

The  imaginary  sick  generally  lack  courage  to 
sufifer,  or  care  little  to  get  well.  Slight  symptoms 
of  irregularity  in  their  general  feelings,  occasional 
aches  here  and  there,  are  mistaken  for  indications 
of  serious  trouble.  Change  of  habit  and  surround- 
ings, useful  and  suitable  exercise,  are  required,  as 
well  as  mental  occupation,  in  those  unpleasant  con- 
ditions. 

When  sickness  comes,  do  not  despise 
The  doctor's  help,  if  you  arc  wise; 
Live  useful,  cheerful,  kind  to  all: 
Then  may  your  grave  claim  Honor's  pall. 

THE  END. 


ALPHABETICAL  INDEX. 

Pago. 

Accidents   and   Elmergrencies Z13 

Antidotes    against    poisons 218 

Breatliing,     Artificial 217 

Burns,    Treatment    of 220 

Dog-Bite,    Treatment    of   a 219 

Drowned  person.   Treatment  of  an  apparently 215-217 

Ear,    Foreign    body   in   the 218 

Eye,    Inflamation  of  the 218 

Fits,    Falling-Sickness,    Treatment   of 220 

Indigestion,    First  treatment  of 217 

Sting  of  Bee,   Wasp,   etc..   Treatment  of 218 

Throat.    Fish-bone   in   the 217 

Air 151 

Air,  What  are  the  constituent  parts  of 151 

Breathing  in  affections  of  the  lungs  or  bronchia 164 

Carbonic   Acid    Gas;    its   properties 163 

Country  versus  City;   a  poem 161-163 

Food   needs  air  for  assimilation 153 

P\inerals,    Wickedly    wasteful 166,  1S7 

Inhale  plenty  of  pure  air 153 

InsufBcient   or  Vitiated   Air,    Danger  of 153-157 

Medication  as  nothing  compared  to  air  and  exercise 159,  160 

Nitrogen;    its    properties 151 

Outing,    The  necessity  of  a  yearly 157 

Oxygen;    its    properties 152 

Sick-room,    closed  tight — Death-room  opened  wide 164,  165 

"Ye   Undertakers!"     A  poem 166 

Anatomy,    Some 107 

Bowels   or   Intestines,    The 113 

Appendix     Vermiformis 114 

Heart,     The 107 

Blood;    amount  sent  to  the  Lungs  per  Minute 108 

Four  Pulsations  to  one  Respiration 108 

Kidneys,    The 113 

Urine  secreted  daily.   Amount  of 113 

Liver,     The HI 

Bile  secreted  daily.   Amount  of 112 

Lungs,    The HO 

Air-cells,     The Hi 

Bronchial    Tubes,     The HI 

Bronchitis,     Consumption HI 

Pneumonia,     Croupous Ill 

Trachea   or   Wind-Pipe,    The 110 

Stomach,    The 112 

Baby,   The 122 

Artificial   food   to   New-bom   Babe,    No 122 

Bed  or  Cradle  of  the  Baby;   its  sleep 131 

Beer  or  Whiskey  to  Children,  hot  a  drop  of 145 

Bones.    The    Child's 145 

Breathing  In  a  Child,    The 133 

Characteristics  that   reveal   certain  ailments 147-149 

Children.    Airing   and    Exercising 134 

Children's     Food 134 

Cleanliness  and    Fresh   Air  all-important 139 

Convulsions,    How    to    treat 135 

Co'lng  Baby.   How  to  treat  a 124 

Go  to  the   dentist   in   time 144 

Go  to  the  doctor  in   time 146 

257 


258  ALPHABETICAL    INDEX. 

Baby,  The- Continued.  ^^^;l'. 

Heart,   Beats  of  Child's j-^- 

Milk,    Cow's;   What  it  ousht  to  be i-' 

Milk.    How  to  detect  acidity   in |-* 

Milk,    the    Mother's ••••  J;" 

Milks,    Analysis  of  Mother's  and  Cow's l-^*.  i^'^ 

Nurserj',    Temperature  of  the 122 

Nursing-bottle,    Care  of  the 1-]1 

Observe  carefully  ailing  young  children 14*» 

Paregoric  and   similar  nostrums  to  bo  used  only  when   ordered   by 

doctor     ^^2 

Purgatives  for  Children Y° 

"Remedies,"    Don't  use   so-called    "Baby" 140 

School-room,    Hygiene    of   the 1*1 


Sleep,    The    Child's. 


136 


Starchy  Food   for  Infants,    No Ai  lol 

Teething    lo7-139 

Tooth-brush,    Teach  the  child  the  use  of  the I'^o 

Voracious   children  not  born   but  bred 1^3 

"Weight   of   the    New   Born    Babe 122 

Weight  and  size  of  a  Baby  at  different  ages 1^7 

jjoi^Ji insy     ""^ 

Bathing,    Old-time   prejudice   against ■■••  209 

Baths,   Various  Kinds  of  Baths ''jy.  -l^ 

Precautions  to  render  bathing  harmless -ilO 

Dinfe-ra-m    of   Comparative   Mortality   as   the  Consequence   of   curtain 

Diseases     1^-'  ;;J 

Don't  s     

Don't  Ask  the  nature  of  prescriptions 116 

Don't  Believe  Cold  Water  Drinking  Dangerous 118 

Don't  Believe  in  "bringing  out"  or  "driving  in"   eruptions 118 

Don't  Believe  in    "Quick   Cures" 117 

Don't  Believe  that  the  true  physician  treats  the  disease  only lla 

Don't  Boast  of  your  blue  blood 115 

Don't  Confound  your  bladder  with  your  kidneys lis 

Don't  Consider  your  physician   infalible 116 

Don't  Exhibit  your  ignorance  by  foolish  statements 115 

Don't  Fail  to  ventilate  the  sick-room  properly 119 

Don't  Fail   to   secure  rest  of  function  for  inflamed   organ 119 

Don't  Feel  offended  by  physician's  questions,   etc 116 

Don't  Know  more  than  your  Doctor 11^ 

Drink i^; 

Alcohol;    invaluable    in    shocks ;^^- 

Alcohol  on  an  empty  stomach.   Never  drink i^* 

Alcohol,    The   dangers   of 1^^ 

Alcoholic  Indulgence  often  Inherited ;J»* 

Alcoholism   frequently  due  to  bad  home-cookmg •••■  l»& 

Tobacco,    Huxley   on l^">  tit 


Tobacco;    is   it   injurious?. 


1S9 
188 


Water.    Constituent   parts  of  pure 

Water.    Danger  of  impure t^' 

Water,   How  to  classify  drinking |^^ 

Water,    How    to   clarify   muddy \sk  a17 

Water;    the   Perfect    Drink iq^ 

Whiskey,  Dangers  of  new,   raw t.' 

Whiskey,   Proportion  of  alcohol  in ^g- 

Food •; -.Oft 

Bread  and  less  meat  ought  to  be  eaten,   More i»" 

Cooking.    Dangers    of    defective |' 

Curtail  use  of  meat  and  alcohol  after  fifty :J^* 

Diet.    What    constitutes   the    best .•■••;i; \- /■ i7n  177 

Digesting  various  articles  of  food.   Table  of  tune  need  for 170-173 

Digestion.   The  Procer.s  of t^„^ 

Eat  wisely  and   well,    How  to 


ALPHABETICAL    INDEX.  259 

Food — Continued.  Tape. 

Food,   The  two  great  classes  of 175 

Indigestion  and   Dyspepsia,    Cause  of 1C9 

Rapid    Eating,    Dangers  of  too 176 

Spices,    Condiments   and    sea.3oning  unwholesome 176 

Waste  of  food   in  America,   Wreckless 177 

We    eat    to    live HJ3 

HemorrliJiK-e    (Bleeding) 221 

Blood    Vomitting    or    Spitting 222-223 

Hemorrhage,    The  Three  Kinds  of 221 

Hemorrhage,    Treatment    of 2L1-222 

Life "lO 

Alternate    rest    and    motion 21 

Cells  of  the  body 19 

Diseases  of  active   people 21 

Diseases   of   sedentary   people 21 

Education    must   be^in    before    school-days 24 

Evil   Propensities,    Transmission  of 24 

Heredity,    Habits  and  Environment,  We  are  Creatures  of 22 

Life    begets    life 23 

Heredity  more  than   Vital   Force 14 

Heredity    is    Organization    itself 16 

Heredity  Is  Warmth,   Growth,   Repair  and  Power  of  Labor 17 

Heredity;    What    is    it? 10 

Longevity    (old     age) 20 

Survival  of  the  fittest.   The '. ! n 

Vital    Resistance,    The 20 

Pliysiciaas    and    Fadilists C8 

Above  all  price  of  wealth;  a  poem SO 

"Blood     Remedies" SI 

Diseases,   Scientific  and  popular  names  of 71-73 

Fad;    what    is    it? 68 

Fads  pay   well   but   serve   ill €9 

Headache   Remedies   Galore 77 

Human    Slot-machine,     The 83 

Introspective    Patient,     The 73 

Malingerers    or    Impostors 75 

Measures,    Druggist's 62 

Morphia,    The   Victims    of 75 

Narcotics    and    Hypnotics 79 

Nerve  Medicines  and  Cough   Medicines  are   dangerous 82 

Fatent-Medicines,    The  Danger  of  Using 77 

Pill  or  Teaspconful  not  the  whole  treatment 70 

PuHe,    The  rate  of  the 91 

Queer  requests  of   the  Druggist's  Customers,   A  few r7-9u 

Ilidiculous  m.eans  of  curing  diseases,   A  iew S1-S6 

Rules   of    Health;    in    verse 92 

Sarsaparllla.    Sassafras  and   Celery,   no  medical  value  in 81 

Scrofula  cured  by  the  King's  Touch 86 

Self-merlication,   a   wholesale  murder  or  suicide SO 

Stomach-Pump,    I'he 71 

Temperature  of  the   Human  Body 91 

V/eights,    Druggist's 92 

Pliysicians  mid   Quacks 26 

Appendicitis;    a    poem 40-!3 

Brown-Lpguard's    Elixir   of   Liie 37 

"Cancer-Cured,"     The 62 

Case  a  law  in   itself.    Each 29 

Cleanliness    the   price    of    safety 44 

Endorsements  by   famous  prople.    Beware   of 31 

Faith    "Doctor"    and    the    "^Tagnetic   Healer,"    The 45 

Germ-Hunting    Theorist,     The 42 

Habit-Docfor,    The 59 

Headache-Doctor,    The 43 


260  ALPHABETICAL    INDEX. 

Physicians  and  Qaacks — Continued.  Page. 

Honorable  phj'sician  never  guarantees  a  cure.   The Si 

Koch's    Anti-consumption    Lymph 38 

Medical   profession   approved   of   in   the   Bible,    The 26 

Medical   profession  endangered   by   the   Specialists,    The 37 

Medical    Vocabulary,    Dr.    Blowhard's 58 

Medico-Theological    Quack,    The 32 

New-school    Physician,    The 53-58 

Ozonized  Air,   or  Antiseptic  Vapor,   Cure  by 61 

Panacea  for  all  ills  not  yet  discovered 26 

Quacks,    Various   brief   definitions   of 34 

Religious  Press  Advertises    "Sure   Cures,"    The 28 

Specialist,    The    Day   of   the;    a   poem 49-51 

Specialist,    The   False  and   the  Honest 46 

Specialists,    St.    Paul's    Views    on 51 

"Sure  cures,"    Everybody  dies  in  spite  of  all  the 30 

Wounds,    How   to   cleanse 45 

Physician,   Tlie   True 94 

Cause  of  the  ailment,    then  its  removal 98 

Consumption,    for   the  relief  of 95 

Contagion,    Danger    of 97 

Disease  not  all   important.    The   name  of 99 

Guard    against    complications 98 

Husband  or  Wife,   The  choice  of  a 97 

Kissing,    Diseases   transmitted    by 96 

Medical  Profession,  Ethics    of    the 100 

Medical  Profession  is   a   public   Necessity,    The , 105 

Medical  Profession,  The ;    a    poem 105 

Rheumatism,    The   Blue-Glass   Cure    for 94 

Suliuretted   Oxygen   cure.    The 94 

Sick-Room,    Tiie 211 

Death,    Informing  the  patient  of  Impending 214 

Excessive  attention   followed  by  neglect 212 

Sleep   of   the   Sick,    Respect  the 213 

Sleep 224 

Bed,    How  to   lie   in   one's 241 

Bed-room,    Size    and    Ventilation   of 243 

Bed-time,    A   warm   bath   before 240 

Chloral,    Bromides,    Coal   Tar  Derivatives 234 

Dreams    and    Night-Terrors 236 

Early  to  bed  good  for  children 237,  238 

Insomnia     230 

Sleep,     Artificial 231 

Sleep,  Best   means    of    securing 237 

Sleep,  Definitions     of 224 

Sleep.  Different    kinds    of 227 

Sleep  induced    by    disease,    or  by   slothfulness 229 

Sleep     Necessity 224 

Sleep  what  Longfellow  wrote   about 243 

Sleeping   Draughts,    Danger  of 232 

Sleeping    Dropsy 228 

Worries.    Free   yourself    from 239 

Worlc    and    Worry 192 

Blues,    The;    a   poem 205 

Bury  W^orry,    lest  it  bury  you 204 

Chill  after  perspiring,   Beware  of  a 195 

Divide  the  day.   How  to  properly 192 

Exercise   an   essential   of  health 193 

Heart's  Action  to  be  Avoided,    Excessive 195 

Light-hearted    Laboring-Man.    The ■'^^'■^o? 

Open  air  exercise,   Advantages  of 194,  195 

Overworked    Engineer,    The 202 

Pure  air  to  go  with  exercise 193 

Worried   man   of   fortune.    The 196-198 


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